Tinkoff Credit Systems

Infobox Cycling team
teamname = Tinkoff Credit Systems


code = TCS
base = ITA
founded = 2007
disbanded =
manager = Stefano Feltrin
teammanager = Omar Piscina
discipline = Road
status = Professional Continental
season =
oldname =
pattern_la1=_greylower|pattern_b1=_tinkoff|pattern_ra1=_blacklower|leftarm1=FBEB26|body1=ffffff|rightarm1=FBEB26|shorts1=000000

Tinkoff Credit Systems ("UCI Team Code": TCS) is a professional continental cycling team based in Italy that has UCI Professional Continental status, racing in UCI Continental Circuits races and when selected as a wildcard to UCI ProTour events. The team is financed by Russian businessman Oleg Tinkoff.

Tinkoff Credit Systems emerged from the 2006 Continental team Tinkoff Restaurants, which was based in Russia and employed Russian cyclists. Of the eleven cyclists employed by the team, eight now ride for Tinkoff Credit Systems: Pavel Brutt, Ilya Chernetskiy, Mikhail Ignatiev, Serguei Klimov, Anton Mindlin, Ivan Rovny, Alexander Serov and Nikolai Trusov.

Stefano Feltrin is the general manager of Tinkoff, while Omar Piscina is team manager, assisted by Orlando Manini, Dmitri Konychev and Claudio Cozzi. Owner Oleg Tinkoff has worked hard to build links with the Italian cycling community, which garnered wildcard invites to the major RCS races, including the 2007 Giro d'Italia.

Tinkoff uses Colnago bicycles with Campagnolo components.

2008 team

As of December 31, 2007. [cite web| url=http://www.ucieuropetour.com/templates/UCI/UCI2/layout.asp?MenuId=MjA2Nw |title=TINKOFF CREDIT SYSTEMS (TCS) - ITA Riders |publisher=UCI |work=uci.ch |accessdate=2007-12-31]

Major results

2008

* 1st, Stage 19, Giro d'Italia: Vasil Kiryienka
* 1st, Stage 5, Giro d'Italia: Pavel Brutt
* 2nd, Stage 19, Vuelta a'Espana: Vasil Kiryienka

2007

* 1st, Team classification, Tirreno-Adriatico
* 1st, Mountain classification, Tirreno-Adriatico: Salvatore Commesso
* 1st, GP Chiasso: Pavel Brutt
* 1st, Trofeo Laigueglia: Mikhail Ignatiev
* 1st, Young rider classification, Tour Méditerranéen: Ivan Rovny
* 1st, Stage 3, Tour Méditerranéen: Mikhail Ignatiev
* 1st, Stage 9, Le Tour de Langkawi: Pavel Brutt
* Selected as a wild card team for the 2007 Giro d'Italia. [http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/11670.0.html Hamilton likely Giro-bound after Tinkoff gets wildcard nod]
* 1st, Stage 1, Tour de Georgia: Daniele Contrini
* 2nd, Eindhoven Team Time Trial

References

* [http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=features/2007/tinkoff_launch07 Cyclingnews.com team presentation coverage]
* [http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=10274 Daily Peloton - Spotlight on Tinkoff Credit Systems 2007]