title: Pavel Tonkov
text: # Pavel Tonkov
  
  Pavel Sergeyevich Tonkov (Павел Сергеевич Тонков; born 9 February 1969 in Izhevsk) 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.
  
  ## Professional career
  
  His biggest success was the overall win in the 1996 Giro d'Italia. He went on to place 2nd in the following two editions of the Italian race and all total he placed in the top 5 of the Giro on seven occasions. He also had two top 5 performances in the Vuelta and while he entered the Tour de France on three occasions he never completed one.
  
  He won the 1995 Tour de Suisse and the 1997 Tour de Romandie. He placed 3rd overall in the 2000 Vuelta a España.
  
  Throughout much of his career, he was a client of the controversial Michele Ferrari.
  
  He retired in 2005.
  
  ## Personal life
  
  He lives in Córdoba, Spain, where he manages a hotel.
  
  ## Career achievements
  
  ### Major results
  
  **1987**
  
  
      1st Road race, UCI Junior Road World Championships
  
  **1989**
  
  
      1st Overall Tour du Poitou-Charentes et de la Vienne
         1st Stage 2 (ITT)
      1st Overall Okolo Slovenska
         1st Stage 7
  
  **1990**
  
  
      1st Stage 7a Peace Race
  
  **1992**
  
  
      7th Overall Giro d'Italia
         1st Young rider classification
      10th Giro dell'Emilia
  
  **1993**
  
  
      5th Overall Giro d'Italia
         1st Young rider classification
      5th Overall Tour de Suisse
         1st Stage 4
      9th Overall Tour de Romandie
  
  **1994**
  
  
      2nd Overall Grand Prix du Midi Libre
         1st Stage 1
      4th Overall Giro d'Italia
      8th Overall Tour de Romandie
      9th Overall Vuelta a Murcia
      10th Trofeo Pantalica
  
  **1995**
  
  
      1st Overall Tour de Suisse
         1st Combination classification
         1st Stage 7
      4th Overall Giro del Trentino
      6th Overall Giro d'Italia
      6th Chrono des Nations
      9th Overall Tour de Romandie
  
  **1996**
  
  
      1st Overall Giro d'Italia
         1st Stage 13
      1st Stage 1 Tour de Romandie
      2nd Giro dell'Appennino
      9th Overall Escalada a Montjuïc
  
  **1997**
  
  
      1st Overall Tour de Romandie
         1st Stage 4
      1st Giro dell'Appennino
      Vuelta a España
         1st Stages 13 & 15
      2nd Overall Giro d'Italia
         1st Stages 3 (ITT), 5 & 21
      2nd Overall Giro del Trentino
      5th Overall Volta a Catalunya
      7th Trofeo dello Scalatore
      8th Overall Tour of Galicia
  
  **1998**
  
  
      1st Giro dell'Appennino
      2nd Overall Giro d'Italia
         1st Stage 18
      9th Overall Tour de Romandie
  
  **1999**
  
  
      1st Luk-Cup Bühl
      2nd Giro dell'Appennino
      4th Overall Vuelta a España
      9th Tre Valli Varesine
      10th Overall Tour de Romandie
  
  **2000**
  
  
      2nd Road race, National Road Championships
      3rd Overall Vuelta a España
      5th Overall Giro d'Italia
      6th Luk-Cup Bühl
      9th Overall Tour of Galicia
      10th Overall Volta a Catalunya
  
  **2001**
  
  
      1st Mountains classification Tour of the Basque Country
      2nd Overall Critérium du Dauphiné
         1st Combination classification
      3rd Classique des Alpes
      5th Overall Euskal Bizikleta
      7th Road race, National Road Championships
  
  **2002**
  
  
      5th Overall Giro d'Italia
         1st Stage 17
      6th Overall Tour de Suisse
  
  **2003**
  
  
      3rd Giro dell'Appennino
  
  **2004**
  
  
      1st Stage 17 Giro d'Italia
      5th Overall Giro del Trentino
      8th Giro dell'Appennino
  
  **2005**
  
  
      1st Overall Clasica Alcobendas
         1st Mountains classification
         1st Stage 1
      8th Subida al Naranco
      9th Giro dell'Appennino
  
  ### Grand Tour general classification results timeline
  
  | Grand Tour | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Giro d'Italia | 7 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | 5 | — | 5 | DNF | 13 |
  | Tour de France | — | — | DNF | DNF | — | — | — | DNF | — | — | — | — | — |
  | Vuelta a España | — | — | — | — | — | DNF | — | 4 | 3 | — | 67 | — | DNF |
  
  Legend :
  
  | — | Did not compete |
  | - | - |
  | DNF | Did not finish |
  
  **Notes**
  
  * ↑ Tonkov did not start Stage 17 due to a death in his family.
  