Alexander Vinokourov

Biography

Alexander Nikolayevich Vinokourov was born on September 16, 1973, in Beskol, Kazakhstan, when it was still part of the Soviet Union. Of Russian descent, he became one of Kazakhstan’s most celebrated professional cyclists and a notable figure in international cycling. His career stretched from the late 1990s until 2012, during which he won some of cycling’s top events, including Grand Tours, Monument classics, and in the Olympics.

Vinokourov started cycling in the Soviet sports system in 1984 at age 11. After the Soviet Union dissolved, he moved to France in 1997 to finish his amateur career before becoming a professional in 1998. His career featured both major wins and notable controversies. His major victories include the 2006 Vuelta a España overall title, two Liège–Bastogne–Liège wins, an Amstel Gold Race victory, and four stage wins each in the Tour de France and Vuelta a España. He also earned two bronze medals at the World Championships and became the national champion of Kazakhstan.

The most memorable moment of Vinokourov's later career was at the 2012 London Olympics, where he won the gold medal in the men’s road race. This victory was significant as it followed a period of struggle, including a serious crash during the 2011 Tour de France and a return from a two-year suspension. During the Olympic race, Vinokourov made a dramatic late breakaway with Colombian Rigoberto Urán, eventually outsprinting him to claim the gold medal in his final professional race.

Vinokourov's career included controversy. In 2007, during the Tour de France, he was caught blood doping, which led to his entire Astana team being withdrawn from the race and resulted in a two-year suspension from cycling. After returning to competition in August 2009, he raced initially for Kazakhstan’s national team before rejoining Astana. After retiring following the 2012 Olympics, Vinokourov moved into team management, becoming general manager of the UCI WorldTeam Astana. His management career had its challenges, including being dismissed as team principal of Astana-Premier Tech in June 2021, though he later returned to a management role with the renamed XDS Astana Team.