Top 10 Asian cyclists in history: From Djamolidine Abdoujaparov to Alexander Vinokourov and more
Cycling
Asia is not the biggest talent factory in the history of cycling. However, it has had some interesting riders over the years coming out of its borders. Kazakhstan is the base for cycling on this continent, boosted by the creation of the Astana Qazaqstan Team, based there and named after the country's capital.
Together with CiclismoAlDia we have taken a look at the names. Alexander Vinokourov is by far its most iconic rider, although we cannot forget Alexey Lutsenko, who is the best of the last decade and today. But we can also find Uzbekistan, with the presence of two riders, especially the specialist in speed, one of the fastest men of his generation on the bike, Djamolidine Abdoujaparov.
1. Alexander Vinokourov (Kazakhstan)
- 2 times Winner of Liège-Bastogne-Liège (2010, 2005)
- Overall Winner of the Vuelta a España (2006)
- Olympic Games Road Race London (2012)
- 2 times Overall Winner of the Paris-Nice (2003, 2002)
- 4 times stage winner in the Tour de France (2010, 2005, 2003).
- Winner of the Amstel Gold Race (2003)
- 4 times stage winner in the Vuelta a España (2006, 2000)
- Overall Winner of the Tour de Suisse (2003)
- Overall Winner of the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré (1999)
- 5 times stage winner in Paris-Nice (2004, 2003, 2002)
- Overall Winner of the 4 Jours de Dunkerque (1998)
- 4 times stage winner in the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré (2007, 2005, 1999)
2. Djamolidine Abdoujaparov (Uzbekistan)
- 9 times stage winner in Tour de France (1996, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1991)
- 7 times stage winner in the Vuelta a España (1993, 1992)
- 3 times winner of the Tour de France Points Classification (1994, 1993, 1991)
- Winner of the Gent-Wevelgem (1991)
- 9 times Stage runner-up in Tour de France (1997, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1992, 1991)
- Winner of the Points Classification in the Giro d'Italia (1994)
- Winner of the Points Classification in the Tour of Spain (1992).
- Stage winner in the Giro d'Italia (1994)
- 2 times stage winner in Paris-Nice (1994)
- 2 times stage winner in the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré (1997)
- Winner of the Rik Van Steenbergen Memorial / Kempen Classic (1994)
- 7 times stage runner-up in the Giro d'Italia (1996, 1994, 1991, 1990)
3. Maxim Iglinskiy (Kazakhstan)
- Winner of the Liège-Bastogne-Liège (2012)
- Winner of the Montepaschi Strade Bianche - Eroica Toscana (2010)
- Winner of the G.P. Camaiore (2005)
- Stage winner at the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré (2007)
- Stage winner in the Deutschland Tour (2005)
- Stage winner at the Tour de Romandie (2008)
- 2 times Runner-up at the Asian Championships, Road Race (2014, 2004).
- Stage winner in the Baloise Belgium Tour (2013).
- Overall runner-up of La Méditerranéenne (2010)
- Runner-up Montepaschi Strade Bianche - Eroica Toscana (2012)
- National Champion of Kazakhstan, Individual Time Trial (2006)
- Winner of the Tour of Almaty (2013)
4. Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan)
- 2 times Overall Winner of the Tour of Oman (2019, 2018).
- Stage winner in the Tour de France (2020).
- Gold medal at the Asian Games Road Race (2018).
- 3 times winner of Tour of Almaty (2016, 2015, 2014).
- Overall Winner of the Arctic Race of Norway (2019).
- Overall winner of the Tour de Hainan (2016).
- 2 times winner of the Marco Pantani Memorial (2023, 2019)
- 2 times Asian Games Gold Medalist, Individual Time Trial (2023, 2018)
- Stage winner in the Vuelta a España (2017).
- Overall Winner Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye (2023)
- Overall Winner of the Giro d'Abruzzo (2024)
- Overall Winner of the Giro di Sicilia (2023)
5. Andrey Kashechkin (Kazakhstan)
- Winner of the GP de Fourmies / La Voix du Nord (2004)
- Stage winner at the Vuelta a España (2006)
- Overall Winner of the Sachsen-Tour International Um Den Sparkassen-Cup (2004)
- Stage winner at Paris-Nice (2006)
- 3rd place in the General Classification of the Vuelta a España (2006)
- Overall Winner of Le Triptyque des Monts et Châteaux (2001)
- 3rd place in the Overall Classification of the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré (2007)
- 3rd place in the General Classification of the Tour de Romandie (2007)
- 3rd place in the General Classification of the Tour of Germany (2006)
- 3rd place in the Donostia San Sebastián Klasikoa (2006)
- Kazakhstan National Champion, Road Race (2006)
- Winner of La Côte Picarde (2001)
6. Sergey Lagutin (Uzbekistan)
- Stage winner in the Vuelta a España (2016).
- Winner of the Grosser Preis des Kantons Aargau (2012)
- Winner of the Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen (2005)
- Under-23 World Champion, Road Race (2003)
- 2 times National Champion of Uzbekistan, Road Race (2012, 2011).
- Overall Winner Tour of Korea (2008)
- Stage winner at the International Rheinland-Pfalz Rundfahrt (2007)
- Winner of the Major Cup (2014)
- Winner of the Paris-Roubaix Espoirs (2003)
- Giacomo Matteotti Trophy Winner (2003)
- 2nd place in the Hel van het Mergelland (2007)
- 2nd place in the Commerce Bank Lehigh Valley Classic (2007)
7. Andrei Kivilev (Kazakhstan)
- Overall winner of the Route du Sud (2001)
- Stage winner at the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré (2001)
- 4th place in the General Classification of the Tour de France (2001)
- Overall Winner of the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey (1995)
- 2nd place in the Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var (2000)
- 4th place in the General Classification of the Paris-Nice (2002)
- 3 times stage runner-up in the GP du Midi-Libre (2002, 2001, 2000)
- 2 times 5th place in the General Classification of the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré (2002, 2001)
- 4th place in the Donostia San Sebastián Klasikoa (2002)
- 3rd place in the General Classification of La Route du Sud Cycliste - La Dépêche du Midi (2002)
- 2 times stage runner-up in the Route du Sud (2001)
- 3rd place in the Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var (2003)
8. Dmitriy Fofonov (Kazakhstan)
- Asian Championships Champion, Road Race (2009)
- Stage winner at the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré (2008)
- Stage winner in the Volta a Catalunya (2002)
- 2nd place at the GP of Fourmies / La Voix du Nord (2004)
- 2 times Kazakhstan National Champion, Individual Time Trial (2000, 1998)
- 2nd place in one stage of the Vuelta a España (2006)
- 2 times 3rd place in a stage of the Tour de France (2008, 2004)
- 2nd place in the Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var (2004)
- Kazakhstan National Champion, Road Race (2009)
- 4th place in the Meisterschaft von Zürich (2004)
- Stage winner at the Tour du Loir et Cher (2009)
- 2nd place in a stage of the Tour of Qinghai Lake (2009)
9. Andrei Teteryuk (Kazakhstan)
- Overall Winner of the Tour of Galicia (2000)
- Winner of the Giro del Friuli (1996)
- Winner of the Milano-Vignola (1992)
- Stage winner at the Tour de Suisse (1996)
- Stage winner at the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré (1997)
- Stage winner at the GP du Midi-Libre (2001)
- Stage winner in the Tour of Galicia (2000)
- Overall Winner of the Giro Ciclistico d'Italia (1989)
- 3rd place in the Overall Classification of the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré (1998)
- Stage winner in the Tour of Britain (1992)
- 2nd place in the General Classification of the Tour of Galicia (1999)
- Kazakhstan National Champion, Road Race (1999)
10. Andrey Zeits (Kazakhstan)
- Overall Winner of the Kyushu Tour (2023)
- 2nd place in the Overall Winner of the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey (2011)
- Stage winner at the Tour of Hainan (2015).
- 2nd place in the Overall Winner of the Tour of Hainan (2015)
- Stage winner at the Kyushu Tour (2023)
- 3rd place in the Overall Winner of the Tour of Hainan (2014)
- Stage winner in the Giro Ciclistico della Valle d'Aosta - Mont Blanc (2006)
- 2nd place in the Tour of Hainan Stage Winner (2014)
- 4th place in a stage of the Vuelta a España (2016).
- 4th place in the General Classification of the CRO Race (2019).
- 8th place at the Olympic Games, Road Race (2016).
- 8th place in the General Classification of the Tour of Poland (2016).
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- What a race! I didn't expect Vanthourenhout to collapse like that, and Wyseure did take the fight to Nys, but there was no doubt at the end. I also wonder what Aubin Sparfel would be capable of were he to race in the elites now. In the U23 ranks he is making good work of Giel Lejeune, who himself is among the better riders in the elites, and a top 10 contender in the big races (3rd at Kleebergcross, 8th at Berencross and 5th at Heerderstrand). In the French Cup, Sparfel is significantly better than Romain Debord (8th at Koppenbergcross and 10th at the Euros) and Rémi Lelandais (12th at Koppenbergcross and 19th at the Euros).
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- He should have been allowed to go to Movistar. Right now both arent a good fit for each other and are just wasting each other's time and effortabstractengineer08-11-2026
- Thibau Nys does exactly what Iserbyt is calling forRafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- i did not see it. was the relegation justified or an overly hard decision? and don‘t cross riders deviate from straight lines all the time? bumping into each others when they cut corners, etc … why being more strict with the rules on the finish sprint?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- seems like we are advertising the website with pointless comments…Ketterechts08-11-2026
- So?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- The UCI do have their favorites.
Front24208-11-2026 - On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment