Pavel Tonkov

Pavel Sergeyevich Tonkov (Russian: Павел Сергеевич Тонков; born February 9, 1969 in Izhevsk)[1] is a former professional road racing cyclist from Russia. His talents were first showcased when winning the world junior title as part of the Soviet Union team in 1987. This alerted the world to his talents, and he turned pro in 1992 with the RUSS-Baïkal team. His biggest success was the overall win in the 1996 edition of the Giro d'Italia. He also placed 2nd in the following two editions of the Italian race.

Pavel Tonkov

Tonkov in 2005
Personal information
Full name	Pavel Sergeyevich Tonkov
Nickname	The Tsar
Born	(1969-02-09) February 9, 1969 Izhevsk, Soviet Union
Team information
Current team	Retired
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Rider type	All-rounder
Professional teams
1992	Russ
1992–1995	Lampre
1996	Ceramiche Panaria-Vinavil
1997–2000	Mapei
2001	Mercury-Viatel
2002	Lampre-Daikin
2003	CCC-Polsat
2004	Vini Caldirola-Nobili Rubinetterie
2005	Team LPR
Major wins
Grand Tours Giro d'Italia General classification (1996) Young rider classification (1992, 1993) 7 individual stages (1996–2004) Vuelta a España 2 individual stages (1997) Stage Races Tour de Suisse (1995) Tour de Romandie (1997)

In 1995 he won the Tour de Suisse and in 1997 he won the Tour de Romandie.[2] In 2000 he placed 3rd overall in the Vuelta a España.[2]

Throughout much of his career, he was a client of the controversial Michele Ferrari.

He retired in 2005.

He lives in Córdoba, Spain where he manages a hotel.