Mikel Nieve facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mikel Nieve

Nieve at the 2018 Tour de France.
Personal information
Full name	Mikel Nieve Iturralde
Nickname	Frosty
Born	(1984-05-26) 26 May 1984 (age 41) Leitza, Spain
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
Grand Tours Giro d'Italia Mountains classification (2016) 3 individual stages (2011, 2016, 2018) Vuelta a España 1 individual stage (2010)

Mikel Nieve Iturralde (born May 26, 1984) is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer. He competed as a professional cyclist from 2008 until 2022. Mikel was known for his strong climbing skills, especially in the big three-week races called Grand Tours.

Mikel Nieve's Cycling Journey

Mikel Nieve started his professional cycling career in 2008. He became known for his amazing ability to climb mountains during races.

Early Years with Euskaltel–Euskadi

Nieve at the 2013 Tour de France.

Mikel Nieve was born in Leitza, Spain. He joined the Euskaltel–Euskadi team in 2009. In 2010, he won a stage in the 2010 Vuelta a España, which is one of the three Grand Tours. He rode alone to victory on a tough mountain finish.

A year later, in 2011, Mikel won another important stage. This was in the 2011 Giro d'Italia, another Grand Tour. This stage was considered the hardest of that year's race. Mikel broke away from the main group early on. He rode for almost seven and a half hours to win the stage.

Mikel finished in the top 10 twice in the Giro d'Italia (in 2011 and 2012). He also finished in the top 10 twice in the Vuelta a España (in 2010 and 2011).

In 2013, Mikel rode his first Tour de France. This is the most famous Grand Tour. He finished 12th overall in this race. After his team closed down, Mikel joined Team Sky.

Success with Team Sky

Mikel Nieve raced for Team Sky from 2014 to 2017. In 2014, he won a stage in the 2014 Critérium du Dauphiné, a major warm-up race for the Tour de France. He also finished 8th overall in that race.

In 2015, Mikel achieved his best overall finish in a Grand Tour. He placed 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 the Giro. This meant he was the best climber in the race. Later that year, he helped his teammate Chris Froome win the 2016 Tour de France. Mikel was a "domestique," which means he helped his team leader by riding hard and supporting them in the mountains.

Racing for Mitchelton–Scott

In 2018, Mikel Nieve joined the Mitchelton–Scott team. He continued to show his climbing skills. In the 2018 Giro d'Italia, he won the second-to-last stage on his 34th birthday. He was part of a large group of riders who broke away from the main pack.

In 2019, he finished 10th overall in the 2019 Vuelta a España. This was his fourth time finishing in the top 10 of that race. He rode as a domestique for his teammate Esteban Chaves. In 2020, he had to leave the 2020 Tour de France early. This was the first time he had not finished a Grand Tour in 19 attempts. He then finished 13th overall in the 2020 Vuelta a España.

Final Season with Caja Rural–Seguros RGA

In 2022, Mikel Nieve joined the Caja Rural–Seguros RGA team for his final season as a professional cyclist. He retired at the end of that year, after a long and successful career.

Major Achievements

Mikel Nieve had many notable results throughout his career. Here are some of his main achievements:

Grand Tour Performance

Mikel Nieve competed in many Grand Tours, which are the most challenging multi-day races in cycling. He was known for his consistency in these races.

Grand Tour general classification results
Grand Tour	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Giro d'Italia	—	—	10	10	—	—	17	25	—	17	17	—	25	—
Tour de France	—	—	—	—	12	18	—	17	14	23	—	DNF	—	—
Vuelta a España	—	10	10	—	23	12	8	—	16	—	10	13	31	—

Images for kids

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  Nieve at the 2017 Paris–Nice

See also

In Spanish: Mikel Nieve para niños