Evgeni Berzin

Evgeni Berzin
Personal information
Full name Evgeni Berzin
Born (1970-06-03) 3 June 1970
Vyborg, Soviet Union
Team information
Current team Retired
Discipline Road
Role Rider
Rider type All-rounder
Professional team(s)
1993 Mecair-Ballan
1994–1995 Gewiss-Ballan
1996 Gewiss-Playbus
1997 Batik-Del Monte
1998 La Française des jeux
1999 Amica Chips-Costa de Almeria
1999 Mobilvetta Design-Rossin
2000 Mobilvetta Design-Formaggi Trentini
Major wins

Grand Tours

Tour de France
1 stage (1996)
Giro d'Italia
General Classification (1994)
Young rider Classification (1994)
5 stages (1994, 1995, 1996)

One-day races and Classics

Liège–Bastogne–Liège (1994)
National Time Trial Championship (1994)
Infobox last updated on
December 31, 2007

Evgeni Berzin (Russian: Евгений Берзин; born 3 June 1970 in Vyborg, Russia) is a Russian former cyclist whose best year was 1994, when he won the Giro d'Italia and Liège–Bastogne–Liège.

Career

Berzin won the Men's Individual Pursuit, at the 1990 Amateur World Championships and the Team Pursuit at both the 1990 and 1991 Amateur World Championships, before turning professional with Italian team, Mecair-Ballan, in 1993.

He rode the Kellogg's Tour of Britain in 1993, for Mecair-Ballan, where he finished second on Stage 4. The end of the stage was notable for the on-road arguments between Berzin and the stage winner, Peter de Clercq, as Berzin had refused to assist with pace-making over the final 10 km of the stage.[1] The same year, he was the runner-up in the Settimana Ciclistica, in Lombarda, Italy.

In 1994, at the age of 24 and riding for Gewiss-Ballan, he won the Liège–Bastogne–Liège, ahead of Lance Armstrong. He followed this with overall victory at the Giro d'Italia, defeating Miguel Indurain, the winner of the previous two editions of the race and the preeminent Grand Tour rider of the time. Berzin won three stages - one in the mountains and two individual time trials - the latter a discipline which Indurain normally dominated. He held the Maglia Rosa from Stage 4 to the end of the race, a total of 19 stages. He also won the White Jersey, for best young rider. Consequently, Berzin was expected to become the next cycling megastar but he was never quite able to live up to the results of 1994.

The following year, again riding with Gewiss-Ballan, he won the Euskal Bizikleta, in Spain and finished second to Tony Rominger at the Giro d'Italia, winning the mountainous penultimate Stage 21. He also won Stage 3 of the 1995 Tour de France, which was a team time trial and was 4th on Stage 8.

Berzin returned for the 1996 Giro d'Italia, where he finished in 10th place, winning one individual time trial stage. He also rode the Tour de Suisse, winning the Prologue and Stage 8. In the 1996 Tour de France, he took the Yellow Jersey in the Alps and won the time trial to Val d'Isere the next day but lost the lead to Bjarne Riis on the following stage.

At the 1997 Giro d'Italia, Berzin rode for Batik-Del Monte but his decline continued, as he was unable to win a stage and finished in 20th place, 49 minutes behind the winner, Ivan Gotti. He rode the Tour de France again, finishing 3rd in the Prologue Time Trial, in Rouen but he later abandoned the race.

On 19 October 1997, Berzin attempted to break the hour record in Bordeaux but he aborted the attempt after 17 minutes, being already too far from Chris Boardman's record.

Later career

Berzin missed the 1998 Giro d'Italia but rode the Tour de France, finishing in 25th position. By 1999, his performances had deteriorated considerably. He rode his final Giro d'Italia, this time for Amica Chips-Costa de Almería but he finished in 52nd place, over 2 hours down on the winner.

Berzin was prevented from starting the 2000 Giro d'Italia, as he received a two-week ban, due to an elevated haematocrit level.[2][3] He never won another professional race and retired in May 2001, aged 30.

After Cycling

Berzin owns three Fiat car dealerships, in Lombardy.[4]

Major victories

1988
 Russia National Junior Track Team Pursuit Championship
World Junior Team Track Pursuit Championship
1989
 Russia National Amateur Track Team Pursuit Championship
1990
 Russia National Amateur Track Team Pursuit Championship
World Amateur Track Pursuit Championship
World Amateur Team Track Pursuit Championship
1991
World Amateur Team Track Pursuit Championship
1992
Course de la Solidarité Olympique
Ruban Granitier Breton
1994
 Russia National Time Trial Championship
Giro d'Italia:
Wearing pink jersey for 19 days
Winner overall classification
Winner young riders' classification
Winner stages 4, 8 and 18
Giro dell'Appennino
Liège–Bastogne–Liège
1995
Giro d'Italia:
2nd place overall classification
Winner stage 21
Crema
Euskal Bizikleta
1996
Tour de France:
Winner stage 8
Wearing yellow jersey for 2 days
Giro d'Italia:
10th place overall classification
Winner stage 19

Grand Tours overall classification results timeline

Grand Tour 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Pink jersey Giro 90 1 2 10 20 - 52 WD
Yellow jersey Tour - - WD 20 WD 25 - -
red jersey Vuelta - - - - - - - -

WD = Withdrew

References

  1. ↑ Robin Nicholl (13 August 1993). "Kellogg's Tour of Britain: Berzin beaten by Belgian rain man". The Independent. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
  2. ↑ CBC Sports News
  3. ↑ Cycling News - May 2000
  4. ↑ Claudio Barbieri (2011). "Berzin: l'ex Zar del Giro che ha preferito le quattro ruote". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2014-07-14.

External links

See also

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