Djamolidine Abdoujaparov

Djamolidine Mirgarifanovich Abdoujaparov (Uzbek: Jamoliddin Mirgarifanovich Abdujaparov, Жамолиддин Миргарифанович Абдужапаров; Russian: Джамолиди́н Миргарифанович Абдужапа́ров, born 28 February 1964) is a former professional road racing cyclist from Uzbekistan.[2] Abdoujaparov was a sprinter, nicknamed "The Tashkent Terror"[3] as he was so ferocious in the sprints. His unorthodox and often erratic sprinting caused a number of crashes. He competed in the individual road race at the Olympic Games on two occasions: in 1988 for the Soviet Union and in 1996 for Uzbekistan; he placed fifth in 1988.[1]

Djamolidine Abdoujaparov
Джамолидин Абдужапаров
Personal information
Full nameDjamolidine Abdoujaparov
NicknameThe Tashkent Express, The Tashkent Terror, Abdou[1]
Born (1964-02-28) 28 February 1964
Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, Soviet Union
Height1.74 m (5 ft 8 12 in)
Weight72 kg (159 lb; 11 st 5 lb)
Team information
Current teamRetired
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider
Rider typeSprinter
Professional teams
1990Alfa Lum
1991–1992Carrera Jeans–Tassoni
1993Lampre–Polti
1994Team Polti–Vaporetto
1995Novell–Decca–Colnago
1996Refin–Mobilvetta
1997Lotto–Mobistar–Isoglass
Major wins
Grand Tours
Tour de France
Points classification (1991, 1993, 1994)
9 individual stages (1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996)
Giro d'Italia
Points classification (1994)
Intergiro classification (1994)
1 individual stage (1994)
Vuelta a España
Points classification (1992)
7 individual stages (1992, 1993)

One-day races and Classics

Gent–Wevelgem (1991)

Career

Abdoujaparov was born in Tashkent to a Crimean Tatar family which was forcibly deported to Uzbekistan during Soviet rule.[2] A graduate of the Soviet sports programme, he came into his prime just as his country gained independence; after initial difficulties (including Uzbekistan's not being affiliated to the UCI, which caused problems with the Cycling World Championship) he signed for a Western professional team and became one of the world's top sprinters.

Abdoujaparov had numerous tussles with Laurent Jalabert in the Tour de France's green sprinters jersey competition in the early 1990s. In 1991 Abdoujaparov won the competition despite a spectacular crash during the final stage on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, where he collided with the barriers 100 m before the finish and somersaulted into the air. Despite still holding enough points to win the sprinters' jersey, he had to cross the line unaided. Members of his team picked him up, put him back on the bike, and he rode slowly over the last few meters, medical staff walking alongside him.

In his last complete tour in 1996, Abdoujaparov achieved a mountain breakaway for his last stage win, unusual for a sprinter. By this stage, though, results were not as good, and after failing seven separate anti-doping tests during the 1997 season, including twice at the 1997 Tour de France, he retired from cycling. He failed the tests screening for the presence in his body of, among others, the anti-asthma drug clenbuterol.

Abdoujaparov, a British rock band formed by former Carter USM guitarist Les "Fruitbat" Carter, is named after him.[4]

Major results

1987
3 Stages Peace race
1988
Peace race
1st Points classification
2 Stages
5th Olympic Games Road Race
1989
1 Stage Peace race
1991
Tour de France
1st Points classification
1st Stages 1 & 4
1st Gent–Wevelgem
1st Giro del Piemonte
1 Stage Semana Siciliana
2 Stages Vuelta a Murcia
1 Stage Volta a Catalunya
1st G.P. Montreal
4th Milan–San Remo
1992
Vuelta a España
1st Points classification
1st Stages 2a, 4, 11 & 21
1 stage Tour of Britain
1993
Tour de France
1st Points classification
1st Stages 3, 18 & 20
Vuelta a España
1st Stages 9, 12 & 20
1st Stage 10 Tour de Suisse
3rd Gent–Wevelgem
4th Overall Three Days of De Panne
Criterium Amiens
Criterium Lisieux
Criterium Hendaya
1994
Tour de France
1st Points classification
1st Stages 1 & 20
Giro d'Italia
1st Points classification
1st Intergiro Classification
1st Stage 10
Paris–Nice
1st Stages 3 & 8a
1st Memorial Rik Van Steenbergen
1st Polynormande
2nd Overall Three Days of De Panne
1st Stages 1 & 3a
2nd Overall Tour of Holland
2 Stages
1 Stage Tour DuPont
Omnium Elsloo
Profronde Roosendaal:Criterium Vayrac
Criterium Bavikhove
3rd Scheldeprijs
5th Gent–Wevelgem
1995
1st Stage 20 Tour de France
1 Stage Tour DuPont
Criterium Quillan
5th Scheldeprijs
1996
1st Stage 14 Tour de France
1st Stage 2 Tirreno–Adriatico
1 Stage Vuelta a Murcia
1 Stage Giro di Sardegna
Criterium Dijon
Criterium Cauderan-Burdeos
1997
1st La Côte Picarde
1st Stage 7 Four Days of Dunkirk
Dauphiné Liberé
1st Stages 1 & 3

See also

References

  1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Djamolidine Abdoujaparov". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  2. "Djamolidine Abdoujaparov interview from ATR". ATR. 30 May 2012. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  3. "'Tashkent terror' banned from cycling for one year". BBC News. 26 January 1998. Retrieved 18 July 2007.
  4. Carlson, Dean. "Abdoujaparov - Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
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