1. Overview
Assan Tolegenovich Bazayev is a former professional road bicycle racer from Kazakhstan. Born on February 22, 1981, in Almaty, Bazayev competed professionally for ten years, from 2004 until his retirement at the end of the 2013 season. Throughout his career, he was known for his versatility, achieving significant victories in various races, including overall wins in stage races, individual time trials, and national road race championships. He also participated in all three Grand Tours: the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, and Vuelta a España.
2. Personal Background
Assan Tolegenovich Bazayev (Асан Төлегенұлы БазаевAsan Tolegenuly BazayevKazakh; Асан Толегенович БазаевAsan Tolegenovich BazayevRussian) was born on February 22, 1981, in Almaty, which was then part of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic and is now the largest city in independent Kazakhstan. He holds Kazakhstani nationality.
3. Professional Career
Assan Bazayev's professional cycling career spanned from 2004 to 2013, during which he rode for several prominent teams and achieved notable successes across various types of races.
3.1. Early Career and Teams
Bazayev began his professional career in 2004, signing with the Kazakhstani team Capec. His debut year saw him secure significant early results, including an overall victory in the Tour of Hellas and a gold medal in the individual time trial at the Asian Cycling Championships. In 2006, he moved to the Spanish-Kazakhstani team Liberty Seguros-Würth. However, the team faced dissolution in 2007 due to its involvement in the Operación Puerto doping case. Following this, Bazayev transitioned to Astana, a newly formed team that effectively took over from Liberty Seguros-Würth, where he remained for the majority of his career until his retirement.
3.2. Major Results and Victories
Throughout his professional career, Assan Bazayev accumulated several key victories and podium finishes, demonstrating his capabilities across different race formats.
3.2.1. 2003-2005
Bazayev's early career showed promising results even before his professional debut. In 2003, he secured a stage victory in the first stage of the GP Tell and also won the fourth stage of the Tour of Bulgaria. Upon turning professional in 2004, he achieved an overall victory in the Tour of Hellas. That same year, he won the individual time trial at the Asian Cycling Championships. The 2005 season saw him achieve podium finishes, including third place overall in the prestigious Tour de l'Avenir and third place in the Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen.
3.2.2. 2006-2008
In 2006, Bazayev continued his success by winning Stage 1 of the Deutschland Tour. Two years later, in 2008, he claimed the national title in the road race at the Kazakhstan National Road Race Championships. During the same year, he also won the points classification at the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey.
3.2.3. 2009-2012
The later part of Bazayev's career saw consistent performances. In 2009, he finished fifth overall in the Tour de Luxembourg. He continued to be a strong contender at the national championships, finishing second in the road race at the Kazakhstan National Road Race Championships in 2010. That year, he also achieved a notable eighth-place finish in the individual road race at the 2010 UCI Road World Championships. In 2012, Bazayev once again won the road race at the Kazakhstan National Road Race Championships, marking his second national title in the discipline. He also placed eighteenth in the individual road race at the 2012 UCI Road World Championships.
3.3. Grand Tour Participation
Assan Bazayev participated in all three of cycling's Grand Tours, completing several editions of the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, and Vuelta a España. His general classification results in these multi-week stage races are detailed below:
| Grand Tour | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giro d'Italia | - | 98th | 97th | - | - | - | - | - |
| Tour de France | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 168th |
| Vuelta a España | 98th | - | 130th | 130th | 82nd | - | DNF | - |
- -: Did not compete
- DNF: Did not finish
3.4. National and World Championships
Assan Bazayev was a prominent figure in his national championships and consistently represented Kazakhstan at the UCI Road World Championships. He won the road race at the Kazakhstan National Road Race Championships twice, in 2008 and 2012. He also achieved a second-place finish in the same event in 2010. At the UCI Road World Championships, he recorded a top-ten finish, placing eighth in the individual road race in 2010. His other participations include an eighteenth-place finish in the individual road race at the 2012 UCI Road World Championships.
4. Retirement
Assan Bazayev officially retired from professional cycling at the end of the 2013 season. His retirement marked the conclusion of a ten-year career as a professional road bicycle racer.