Mikel Nieve facts for kids
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Nieve at the 2018 Tour de France.
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mikel Nieve Iturralde | ||
| Nickname | Frosty | ||
| Born | 26 May 1984 Leitza, Spain |
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| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Weight | 62 kg (137 lb; 9 st 11 lb) | ||
| Team information | |||
| Current team | Retired | ||
| Discipline | Road | ||
| Role | Rider | ||
| Rider type | Climber | ||
| Major wins | |||
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Mikel Nieve Iturralde, born on May 26, 1984, is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer. He competed in races from 2008 until 2022. Mikel was known for his strong climbing skills in tough mountain stages. He often helped his team leaders win big races.
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Mikel Nieve's Cycling Journey
Mikel Nieve started his professional cycling career in 2008. He became known as a very strong climber. He was especially good in long, hard mountain stages.
Early Years with Euskaltel–Euskadi (2009–2013)
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Mikel Nieve was born in Leitza, Spain. He won his first big race stage in 2010. This was stage 16 of the 2010 Vuelta a España, a major Spanish race. He rode alone to win at the top of a mountain.
In 2011, he won another important stage. This was stage 15 of the 2011 Giro d'Italia, a famous Italian race. This stage was called the "queen stage" because it was the hardest. Mikel rode for almost 7 and a half hours to win!
He often finished in the top 10 in big races. He placed 10th twice in the Giro d'Italia (2011 and 2012). He also finished 10th twice in the Vuelta a España (2010 and 2011).
In 2013, Mikel raced in his first Tour de France. This is the most famous cycling race. He finished 3rd on Mont Ventoux and 9th on Alpe d'Huez, both very tough climbs. He ended up finishing 12th overall in the race.
Joining Team Sky (2014–2017)
After his first team closed, Mikel joined Team Sky in 2014. This was a very successful team. In 2014, he won the last stage of the 2014 Critérium du Dauphiné. He also finished 8th overall in that race.
In 2015, Mikel achieved his best overall finish in a Grand Tour. He finished 8th in the 2015 Vuelta a España.
The year 2016 was very successful for Mikel. He won stage 13 of the 2016 Giro d'Italia. He also won the mountains classification in that race. This means he was the best climber of the entire Giro! He then helped his teammate, Chris Froome, win the 2016 Tour de France. Mikel was a "domestique," which means he worked hard to support his team leader.
Racing with Mitchelton–Scott (2018–2021)
In 2018, Mikel joined a new team, Mitchelton–Scott. He continued to show his climbing skills. He won stage 20 of the 2018 Giro d'Italia on his 34th birthday!
In 2019, he finished 10th overall in the 2019 Vuelta a España. This was his fourth time finishing in the top 10 of this race. He was still helping his teammates, like Esteban Chaves, achieve their goals.
In 2020, Mikel had to stop racing in the 2020 Tour de France. This was the first time he had to leave a Grand Tour race early in 19 attempts! He had finished every previous race he started. Later that year, he finished 13th overall in the 2020 Vuelta a España.
Final Season with Caja Rural–Seguros RGA (2022)
In 2022, Mikel Nieve joined the Caja Rural–Seguros RGA team for his final season. He retired from professional cycling after this year. He had a long and successful career, known for his climbing ability and teamwork.
Images for kids
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Mikel Nieve at the 2017 Paris–Nice race.
See also
In Spanish: Mikel Nieve para niños
