Andrey Amador

Andrey Amador Bikkazakova (born 29 August 1986) is a Costa Rican former road bicycle racer, who competed as a professional from 2009 to 2024.

Career

Amador is the son of Rodolfo Amador, a Costa Rican, and Raisa Bikkazakova, a Russian immigrant who arrived in the country after meeting and marrying Amador's father. The youngest of three brothers, Amador started cycling professionally at the age of 20 in 2006, but started cycling at a very early age. Amador was selected to carry the flag for Costa Rica at the 2011 Pan American Games opening ceremony. He is the first Costa Rican to ever ride the Tour de France. In 2012, Amador won a mountainous stage 14 in the Giro d'Italia after breaking away from the group during the final descent right before the final climb. Though he was caught right at the finish of the climb, he won the sprint in the end. In 2013, he finished 8th overall in the Tirreno-Adriatico.

In the 2016 Giro d'Italia, Amador held the pink jersey after stage 13. He became the first Costa Rican to lead a Grand Tour.

At the end of the 2019 season, Amador sought to break an agreement that he had in place with the for the 2020 and 2021 seasons, in order to join . The contract negotiations were not resolved until Amador was released by the on 11 February 2020. Amador signed a three-year deal with the following day, with his first race start scheduled to come at the UAE Tour in the final week of February. In 2023 he was riding for

Major results

2005 5th Overall Vuelta Ciclista a Costa Rica 2006 2nd Time trial, National Under-23 Road Championships 2007 1st Stage 5 Vuelta a Navarra 2008 1st Vuelta al Bidasoa 5th Overall Tour de l'Avenir 1st Prologue 8th Overall Vuelta a Navarra 2010 10th Vuelta a La Rioja 2011 4th Vuelta a La Rioja 4th Gran Premio de Llodio 2012 (1 pro win) 1st Stage 14 Giro d'Italia 4th Prueba Villafranca de Ordizia 9th Overall Tour de San Luis 10th Overall Tour Méditerranéen 2013 8th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico 10th Gent–Wevelgem 2014 1st Stage 1 (TTT) Vuelta a España 6th Overall Tour de Pologne 10th Overall Tour du Haut Var 2015

4th Overall Giro d'Italia 2016 8th Overall Giro d'Italia

2017 5th Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana 2018 (1) 1st Klasika Primavera 9th Overall Vuelta a Andalucía 2019 2nd Trofeo Matteotti 8th Overall Tour of Britain

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

+ Legend — Did not compete DNF Did not finish