Filip "The Vulture" Volkov announced his retirement earlier this week and moved straight into a coaching role with TB. Famed for his break-away steal wins - he also formed part of a mini-hillster team within the team following the Hill climbing expertise of Vajda and Nechayev.
Born in Ternopil in North West Ukraine to a working class family. His father was a Road construction worker and part-time samogon distiller and his mother was a painter and decorator but worked the regional circuit competition as a power lifter.
Volkov left school early and followed his father's profession in Road Repairs and Construction and with his line of work he started to develop a love for the open road and the smell of tarmac. Unable to drive a car due to trauma following a car crash during his father's regional tour of his favourite Ternopil distilliarys - Volkov maintinaed his addiction to...
Read moreFilip "The Vulture" Volkov announced his retirement earlier this week and moved straight into a coaching role with TB. Famed for his break-away steal wins - he also formed part of a mini-hillster team within the team following the Hill climbing expertise of Vajda and Nechayev.
Born in Ternopil in North West Ukraine to a working class family. His father was a Road construction worker and part-time samogon distiller and his mother was a painter and decorator but worked the regional circuit competition as a power lifter.
Volkov left school early and followed his father's profession in Road Repairs and Construction and with his line of work he started to develop a love for the open road and the smell of tarmac. Unable to drive a car due to trauma following a car crash during his father's regional tour of his favourite Ternopil distilliarys - Volkov maintinaed his addiction to the open ropad through cycling and he started to develop a local talent and a name for himself when he started to enter local competitions in his late teens.
Volkov never really sought a professional career in cycling but when stopped by a local policemen and forced to pay a bribe to avoid a fine (which was actually less than the bribe) for speeding his life changed. The local policeman also doubled up as a scout for TB and at the relatively late age of 24 he was duly signed into the TB cycling academy on pro-terms.
Volkov's early years were fairly average as he played third-fiddle to the hillster greats of Vajda and Nechayev but he learnt a lot of his Hillster mentiors.
In S56 Volkov came of age with a podium at the Tyn-Y-Gongl and a place at the Cornel TT and he started to be taken of notice within the team. Two season later he picked up his first (and only) win at Spitak - Gyumri in what can be described as a model top-form break-away performance and secured his best ever season rank of 1646th. In S59 he entered his first tour - again playing mainly a support role and he secured his first cap for the National Team.
His growing confidence in tour and cup races continued when he secured his first GC place (8th) in the El Tocororo - a superb performance and the following season he picked up his best ever performance in the National Team with a 5th in the Auckland.
S64 also proved to be a fruitful year as he seemed to excell in some of the short Hills cups with a 8th in the Cesko and a podium in the ElCorozon. However towards his later years the combination of age, tarmac and samogon addiction took his toll as Volkov saw the writing on the wall for his career. One of his best career moments was helping the National TEam secure the Comrade Cup Title - one of his proudest moments and with one final push he secured a superb placement in the D4 Critérium du Yaoundé and announced his future retirement at the end of S66.
A great team rider for TB, providing solid non-nonsense support for the team but also developed a niche knack of stealing races with break-aways - especially with a little wind at his back. His record is one of the most solid of TB riders - consistent performances throughout D4 to D7 and one of only a few riders with with PB placements in all four divisions he competed in. He will be sorely missed.
Key Stats:(*TB records)
Races: 282 (266 for TB)
Wins: 1
Podiums: 3
Best Tour GC:
S61 El TOCORORO 8th
S64 CESKO-SLOVENSKY-POHAR 8th
Classics: N/A
Placements: 7
Highest ever Ranking: 1646th (S58)*
International Caps: 16
Best Win (as a TB rider)
S58 D5 Spitak - Gyumri
Best Podium Performance:
S64 3rd D5 El Corazón de México, Stage 2 - #5
Highest ever Divisional Performance:
(S66) D4 7th Critérium du Yaoundé #14
Best Div 1 Performance N/A
Best Div 1.1 Performance N/A
Best Div 2 Performance N/A
Best Div3 Performance: N/A
Best Div4 Performance: As above
Best Div5 Performance: As above
Best Div6 Performance: (S64) 5th Brno - Trnava
Best Div7 Performance: (S56) 3rd Tyn-Y-Gongl #41
Best Div8 Performance: N/A
Div9-Div 11 & ND Performance: Not competed
Ukraine Club Records
None
Best International Performance:
S62 WTC 5th Auckland - Hamilton (WT)
Comrade Cup Title S65 (2 caps)
U23 Honours - N/A
Tour Record (GCs and key wins listed where relevant)
EDMONTON RED DEER (D4) Av. Pos. (S66) 72nd
GIRO (D4) Av.Pos. S62 111th
MONTE ROSA TOUR (D5) Av.Pos (S64) 53rd
EL CORAZON (D5) GC (S64 12th)* Av.Pos. Filip Volkov (S60 23rd)*
Best Stage Performance: Miguel de Allende - San Miguel de
Allende Filip Volkov (S64 3rd)*
FAST ON WHEELS (D5) Av.Pos. (S64) 63rd
CESKO (D6) GC: S64 8th
EL TOCOROCO (D7) GC: (S61 8th)* Av.Pos. (S61 10th)*
Best Stage Performance: Volkov (S61) Pinar del Rio - Ojo de Agua - 6th.*
Ukraine