Djamolidine Abdoujaparov

Djamolidine Mirgarifanovich Abdoujaparov (Uzbek: Jamoliddin Mirgarifanovich Abdujaparov; 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
An unsmiling Abdoujaparov in the Tour de France green jersey
Abdoujaparov in 1993
Personal information
Full nameDjamolidine Abdoujaparov
NicknameThe Tashkent Express, The Tashkent Terror, Abdou[1]
Born (1964-02-28) 28 February 1964 (age 60)
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

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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 first rode with the Alfa Lum team in 1990 before the team folded and he joined Carrera Jeans–Tassoni in 1991.[4] 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.[5]

Major results

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1985
Tour de l'Avenir
1st   Points classification
1st Stage 6b
Giro Ciclistico d'Italia
1st Stages 4, 6 & 9
Circuit de la Sarthe-Pays de la Loire
1st Stages 4a & 4b
1987
Peace Race
1st Stages 7, 11 & 14
3rd Gran Premio Palio del Recioto
1988
Peace Race
1st   Points classification
1st Stages 1 & 12
Tour de Pologne
1st Stages 2, 6 & 7
5th Road race, Olympic Games
1989
1st Stage 1 Peace Race
3rd Gran Premio della Liberazione
1990
8th Coppa Bernocchi
1991
1st Gent–Wevelgem
1st Giro del Piemonte
Tour de France
1st   Points classification
1st Stages 1 & 4
1st Stage 7 Volta a Catalunya
1st Stage 1 Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali
Vuelta a Murcia
1st Stages 2 & 4b
4th Milan–San Remo
1992
Vuelta a España
1st   Points classification
1st Stages 2a, 4, 11 & 21
Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
1st Stages 5a & 6
1st Stage 3 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
1994
1st Memorial Rik Van Steenbergen
1st Polynormande
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 Stage 10 Tour DuPont
2nd Overall Three Days of De Panne
1st Stages 1 & 3a
2nd Overall Ronde van Nederland
1st Stages 2 & 4
2nd Classic Haribo
3rd Scheldeprijs
5th Gent–Wevelgem
1995
1st Stage 20 Tour de France
1st Stage 3 Tour DuPont
5th Scheldeprijs
10th Memorial Rik Van Steenbergen
1996
1st Stage 14 Tour de France
1st Stage 2 Tirreno–Adriatico
1st Stage 1 Vuelta a Murcia
1st Stage 2 Giro di Sardegna
3rd Gran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato
1997
1st La Côte Picarde
1st Stage 7 Four Days of Dunkirk
Critérium du Dauphiné Liberé
1st Stages 1 & 3

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b 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. ^ a b "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. ^ Zanca, Salvatore (10 July 1991). "Overall Leader of Tour injures his collarbone". The Deseret News. p. 15. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  5. ^ Carlson, Dean. "Abdoujaparov - Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 April 2014.