Denis Menchov

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**Denis Menchov**
Personal information
Full name	Denis Nikolayevich Menchov
Date of birth	January 25, 1978
Country	Russia
Team information
Current team	Rabobank cycling team
Professional team(s)
2000-2004 2005-present	Banesto Rabobank cycling team
Major wins
1x Vuelta a España 3 stages Vuelta a España 1 stage Tour de France 1x Tour of Basque Country

Denis Nikolayevich Menchov (born 25 January 1978 in Orel, Russia) is a professional Russian road bicycle racer. Menchov is a good climber and a man for General Classification.

Menchov started his professional career in 2000, when he signed for the Banesto team of José Miguel Echevarri. His first success came in 2001, when he won the Tour de l'Avenir, a stage race for professional youth riders. The year after he won a stage and the King of the Mountains in the Dauphiné Liberé. In 2003, Menchov had his big breakthrough when he finished 11th in the Tour de France, and won the youth competition (maillot blanc). 2004 was the last year he rode at Banesto, and it was to be his most successful. He won Tour of Basque Country (aka, Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco), a stage in Vuelta a Aragon, a stage in Paris-Nice and stage five in the 2004 Vuelta a España, from Zaragoza to Morella.

As Menchov's contract ran out in September 2004, he made a switch to Dutch team Rabobank on a 2 year contract. Here he became the team captain following Levi Leipheimer's departure from the team. He was Rabobank's main contender for the 2005 Tour de France, but due to a cold, he finished in 85th place, 2 hours 35 minutes behind Lance Armstrong^[1]. His run in the 2005 Vuelta was in contrast much more successful. Menchov won the stage one (time trial) to Granada and the stage nine time trial to Lloret de Mar, and wore the leader's jersey (golden jersey) for a time. On the 15th stage, though, he lost sight of Roberto Heras on a climb, and ended the race at 2nd overall behind Heras. Roberto Heras was later disqualified for doping, and Menchov received the official win of the 2005 Vuelta. He also captured the event's Combined Classification.

In the 2006 Tour De France Menchov won the 11th stage of the race and second mountain stage of the year's tour (Tarbes to Val d'Aran-Pla-de-Beret). He won the stage after a hard-fought sprint with Americans Levi Leipheimer and Floyd Landis of Team Gerolsteiner and Phonak Hearing Systems respectively. He had good prospect of ending on the podium, but in the final week, the Tour took its toll on Menchov and he dropped from 3rd to 6th place in the Alps.