Djamolidine Abdoujaparov

{{Infobox cyclist

| name = Djamolidine Abdoujaparov

| image = Djamolidine ABDOUJAPAROV.jpg

| caption = Abdoujaparov in 1993

| alt = An unsmiling Abdoujaparov in the Tour de France green jersey

| fullname = Djamolidine Abdoujaparov

| nickname = The Tashkent Express, The Tashkent Terror, Abdou

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1964|2|28|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, Soviet Union

| height = {{height|m=1.74}}

| weight = {{convert|72|kg|lb stlb|0|abbr=on}}

| currentteam = Retired

| discipline = Road

| role = Rider

| ridertype = Sprinter

| proyears1 = 1990

| proteam1 = {{UCI team code|Alfa Lum|1990}}

| proyears2 = 1991–1992

| proteam2 = {{UCI team code|CAR|1991}}

| proyears3 = 1993

| proteam3 = {{UCI team code|LAM|1993}}

| proyears4 = 1994

| proteam4 = {{UCI team code|POL|1994}}

| proyears5 = 1995

| proteam5 = {{UCI team code|RAB|1995}}

| proyears6 = 1996

| proteam6 = {{UCI team code|REF|1996}}

| proyears7 = 1997

| proteam7 = {{UCI team code|LOT|1997}}

| majorwins = 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)

}}

Djamolidine Mirgarifanovich Abdoujaparov ({{langx|uz|Jamoliddin Mirgarifanovich Abdujaparov}}; born 28 February 1964) is a former professional road racing cyclist from Uzbekistan.{{cite web |url=http://use.atr.ua/watch/2012-05-30-20-01-46-0950000 |title=Djamolidine Abdoujaparov interview from ATR |date=30 May 2012 |access-date=18 August 2014 |publisher=ATR |archive-date=2 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202233807/http://use.atr.ua/watch/2012-05-30-20-01-46-0950000 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }} Abdoujaparov was a sprinter, nicknamed "The Tashkent Terror"{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/50764.stm|work=BBC News|title='Tashkent terror' banned from cycling for one year|date=26 January 1998|access-date=18 July 2007}} 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.{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ab/dzhamolidin-abduzhaparov-1.html |title=Djamolidine Abdoujaparov |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304123856/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ab/dzhamolidin-abduzhaparov-1.html |archivedate=4 March 2016 |df=dmy-all }}

Career

Abdoujaparov was born in Tashkent to a Crimean Tatar family which was forcibly deported to Uzbekistan during Soviet rule. 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 {{UCI team code|Alfa Lum|1990}} team in 1990 before the team folded and he joined

{{UCI team code|CAR|1991}} in 1991.{{cite news |last1=Zanca |first1=Salvatore |title=Overall Leader of Tour injures his collarbone |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2AwpAAAAIBAJ |work=The Deseret News |date=10 July 1991 |page=15 |access-date=8 April 2023}}

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/abdoujaparov-mn0001402617/biography|title=Abdoujaparov - Biography|last=Carlson|first=Dean|website=AllMusic|access-date=28 April 2014}}