Denis Menchov had been relatively under-the-radar in the cycling world, that is until his spectacular Giro d’Italia win earlier this year.
The 31 year-old Russian has been named as one to watch by fans and competitors alike, and could well be a dark horse in this year’s Tour de France.
Menchov started his professional career in 2000, when he signed for the Banesto team in Spain. His first success came in 2001, when he won the Tour de l'Avenir.
In 2003, Menchov emerged from anonymity when he finished 11th in the Tour de France, and was awarded the maillot blanc of the youth competition.
After switching to the Rabobank team, he became their main contender for the 2005 Tour de France. However due to a cold, he finished in 85th place, over two and a half hours behind Lance Armstrong.
Although he finished sixth in 2006, Menchov abandoned the 2007 Tour de France on the stage 17, merely a day after one of his teammates was fired from the Rabobank team.
Menchov bounced back in the 2008 race, ending the tour in fourth place but without any stage victories.
In the biggest win of his career so far, Menchov took the top spot at the Giro d'Italia, which also included two stage wins.
