Laurent Jalabert

Laurent Jalabert (born 30 November 1968) is a French former professional road racing cyclist, from 1989 to 2002.

Affectionately known as "Jaja" (slang for a glass of wine; when he continued drinking wine as a professional, the nickname stuck because of the similarity to his name), he won many one-day and stage races and was ranked number 1 in the world in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1999.

Although he never won the Tour de France, where he suffered altitude sickness, he won the Vuelta a España in 1995; as well as the leader's jersey, he won the sprinter's jersey and climber's jersey in the same race — only the third rider to have done this in a Grand Tour. With Alessandro Petacchi, Eddy Merckx, Djamolidine Abdoujaparov and Mark Cavendish, he is one of only five riders to win the points classification in all three grand tours.

Biography
He turned professional with the French Toshiba team in 1989 and quickly established himself as a daring sprinter. He moved on to the Spanish ONCE team under Manolo Saiz, where he reinvented himself as an all-rounder capable of winning one-day races and the tours.

A catalyst was an accident at the finish of the 1994 Tour de France stage in Armentières. A policeman leaned out and several riders hit him. Jalabert was flung into the air and his bicycle was destroyed. He injured his face and promised his wife to change his style of riding. It only took a short while.

He won the 1995 Vuelta a España along with the points and climbers' competitions. He won the world time trial championship in 1997, and was French road champion in 1998, the year he initiated a pull-out of Spanish teams from the 1998 Tour de France in protest at treatment of riders in a police inquiry into drug-taking. This caused discontent among French fans and it took years for them to warm to him. He moved to CSC in 2001, where he won the stage on 14 July, the French national day, Bastille Day, in the 2001 Tour de France. Earlier in the year he had injured his back in a domestic accident. He retired in 2002 after winning the mountains classification in the Tour de France and going on a solo escape in the Pyrenees.

Grand tours
He won several stages of the Tour de France, as a sprinter winning the points classification in the Tour de France twice and as a climber winning the mountains classification in the Tour de France twice. His wins on Bastille Day in Tour de France in 1995 and 2001 ensured him a place in the hearts of French fans.

In the 1990s he dominated Spanish stage races. Jalabert and Alex Zülle were a constant threat to other teams in the Vuelta a España, taking turns winning stages, the overall classification and the points jersey. The strength of ONCE, with domestiques such as Johan Bruyneel and Neil Stephens, meant they were able to keep a rein from start to finish.

Besides Eddy Merckx and Tony Rominger, Jalabert is the only cyclist who has accomplished the trifecta at the grand tour level in the 1995 Vuelta a España, where he won the general, sprinters' and climbers' classifications.

Jalabert is known for sporting generosity. In the 1995 Vuelta he allowed Bert Dietz of Telekom — who had been in a solo breakaway for many kilometers — to take the mountaintop stage win at Sierra Nevada even though he had caught Dietz in the final kilometers. "I never thought we'd catch him, and when I saw he was ready to drop I felt sorry for him. I wanted to show it's not true I'm trying to win it all. My goal is the Tour of Spain," Jalabert said.

When the Vuelta was moved to September, Jalabert was finally able to compete in the spring classics and stage races such as Paris–Nice, winning many stages and the overall classification many times.

One-day races
His palmarès include Milan–San Remo in 1995 and the Giro di Lombardia in 1997. He also won La Flèche Wallonne in 1995 and 1997, and the Clásica de San Sebastián in 2001 and 2002. Absent from his palmares is the world cycling championship road race, although he was second in 1992 to Gianni Bugno of Italy. He also won an award as the most combative rider in the Tour de France in 2001 and 2002.

Retirement
On retirement, Jalabert was a consultant for Look cycles and contributed to a new line of bicycle frames. He is a commentator for France 2 and 3, the national television stations, often from a motorcycle alongside the race. In 2005, Jalabert ran the New York City marathon in 2h 55m 39s, coming 391st in a field of 36,894. He lives with his wife Sylvie and their children at Lafrançaise, near Montauban, south-west France. His brother Nicolas, who often raced with him, continued racing after Laurent's retirement.

Jalabert has also taken up triathlon. In January 2007, he competed at Ironman Switzerland and finished in 9 hours 12 minutes. He exited the water in 1:16, which put him 966th after the swim. Once on the bike he made up significant ground with a 4:39 bike split, which allowed him to climb to 91st overall at the run transition. A 3:11 marathon was enough to gain an additional 69 places and finish 22nd of 1,850 participants. After Switzerland he qualified for the Ironman World championship in Kona, Hawaii, finishing in 9:19 and 76th overall. In June, 2008, he finished 12th overall at Ironman France in Nice, improving his swim time to 1:06 and having the second fastest bike split.

On 11 March 2013 Jalabert was hit by a car while riding his bike near Montauban, France. When the ambulance arrived on the scene of the crash, he was found unconscious and with multiple fractures to his left arm and leg. That same year, Jalabert was summoned by the French senate for a testimony about doping. Jalabert never denied or confirmed that he had doped during his career: "I can’t firmly say that I’ve never taken anything illegal. I’ve effectively used products when it was necessary, in case of lesions or other injuries. At ONCE, in the evening after the stages, the doctor took care of us, for our recovery, but we didn’t really know what it was. A relationship with doctors based on mutual trust was established, so we didn’t ask questions." He also stated that after the Festina affair, he wanted to help his sport move in a new, cleaner direction. In June 2013, it was reported in L'Équipe that retroactive tests performed in 2004 had found evidence of EPO use in samples provided by Jalabert in 1998. The re-tests were originally anonymous, but the Senate inquiry in 2013 has subsequently linked the tests to named riders. Because of these alligations on EPO usage Jalabert has been accused of hypocrisy in criticism of Chris Froome's performance in the 2015 Tour de France.

Major results

 * 1988
 * 1st French Military Championships
 * 8th Overall Tour de l'Avenir


 * 1989
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Tour d'Armorique
 * 1st Stage 1
 * 1st Stage 3 Tour du Limousin
 * 3rd Trofeo Luis Puig
 * 10th Grand Prix de Wallonie


 * 1990
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Paris–Bourges
 * 1st Stage 1
 * 1st Stage 3 Circuit de la Sarthe
 * 2nd Clásica de San Sebastián
 * 2nd Philadelphia International Cycling Classic
 * 3rd Overall Tour de l'Avenir
 * 4th Overall Tour du Limousin
 * 4th Grand Prix de Wallonie
 * 5th Grand Prix d'Isbergues
 * 6th Overall Route du Sud
 * 6th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
 * 9th Grand Prix du Morbihan


 * 1991
 * 2nd Overall Four Days of Dunkirk
 * 1st Stage 2a
 * 2nd Overall Paris–Nice
 * 2nd UCI Road World Cup
 * 2nd Züri–Metzgete
 * 3rd Grand Prix de Cannes
 * 4th Overall Tour de l'Oise
 * 4th Clásica de San Sebastián
 * 6th Road race, National Road Championships
 * 7th Amstel Gold Race
 * 7th Paris–Tours
 * 7th Grand Prix de Fourmies
 * 8th Giro di Lombardia
 * 9th Tour of Flanders
 * 10th Overall Grand Prix du Midi Libre
 * 10th Grand Prix des Nations


 * 1992
 * Tour de France
 * 1st Jersey green.svg Points classification
 * 1st Stage 6
 * Volta a Catalunya
 * 1st Stages 2, 5a & 7
 * Vuelta a Burgos
 * 1st Jersey green.svg Points classification
 * 1st Stages 3, 4 & 6
 * 1st Stage 3 Tour of the Basque Country
 * 1st Stage 3 Euskal Bizikleta
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg Road race, UCI Road World Championships
 * 2nd Wincanton Classic
 * 3rd Trofeo Luis Puig
 * 4th Coppa Placci
 * 5th UCI Road World Cup
 * 5th Paris–Tours
 * 6th Grand Prix des Amériques
 * 7th Giro dell'Emilia
 * 8th Züri–Metzgete
 * 9th Milan–San Remo


 * 1993
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Vuelta a La Rioja
 * 1st Stages 2 & 3
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Vuelta a Mallorca
 * 1st Stages 2, 3 & 4
 * Vuelta a España
 * 1st Stages 3 & 7
 * Volta a Catalunya
 * 1st Stages 3 & 4
 * 1st Trofeo Luis Puig
 * 1st Clasica de Alcobendas
 * 1st GP de Toulouse
 * 1st Stage 8a Paris–Nice
 * 1st Stage 6 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
 * 1st Stage 3 Vuelta Asturias
 * 1st Stage 5 Vuelta a Castilla y León
 * 1st Stage 1 Tour of Galicia
 * 3rd Boucles de l'Aulne
 * 4th Milan–San Remo
 * 4th GP Ouest–France
 * 5th Trofeo Masferrer
 * 7th Gent–Wevelgem
 * 8th Overall Grand Prix du Midi Libre
 * 9th Liège–Bastogne–Liège


 * 1994
 * Vuelta a España
 * 1st Jersey granate.svg Points classification
 * 1st Stages 2, 3, 5, 12, 13, 16 & 21
 * 1st Stage 5 Grand Prix du Midi Libre
 * 1st Stage 5 Volta a Catalunya
 * 2nd Trofeo Luis Puig
 * 4th Road race, National Road Championships
 * 5th Giro del Piemonte
 * 7th Overall Tour of the Basque Country
 * 1st Stage 2
 * 8th Paris–Tours
 * 9th Overall Critérium International
 * 10th Milan–San Remo


 * 1995
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Vuelta a España
 * 1st Jersey granate.svg Points classification
 * 1st Jersey white.svg Mountains classification
 * 1st Stages 3, 5, 8, 15, & 17
 * 1st Jersey white.svg Overall Paris–Nice
 * 1st Stage 2
 * 1st MaillotVolta.png Overall Volta a Catalunya
 * 1st Stages 1 & 7
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Critérium International
 * 1st Stages 1 & 2
 * 1st Milan–San Remo
 * 1st La Flèche Wallonne
 * 1st GP de Toulouse
 * 1st GP Amore-Bieta
 * 1st Stage 3 Grand Prix du Midi Libre
 * 2nd Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
 * 1st Stage 2a
 * 4th Overall Tour de France
 * 1st Jersey green.svg Points classification
 * 1st Stage 12
 * Held Jersey yellow.svg after Stages 2–3
 * 4th Clásica de San Sebastián
 * 6th Wincanton Classic


 * 1996
 * Vuelta a España
 * 1st Jersey rosa.svg Points classification
 * 1st Stages 3 & 13
 * 1st Jersey white.svg Overall Paris–Nice
 * 1st Stages 3 & 4
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Grand Prix du Midi Libre
 * 1st Stages 2 & 5
 * 1st Jersey orange.svg Overall Route du Sud
 * 1st Jersey gold.svg Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
 * 1st Stage 1
 * 1st Classique des Alpes
 * 1st Sète-Mont Saint-Clair
 * 1st Stage 1 Tour of the Basque Country
 * 2nd Overall French Road Cycling Cup
 * 3rd Milano–Torino
 * 5th Paris–Tours
 * 7th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
 * 9th Giro di Lombardia
 * 10th Clásica de San Sebastián
 * 10th Züri–Metzgete


 * 1997
 * 1st Jersey rainbow chrono.svg Time trial, UCI Road World Championships
 * 1st Jersey white.svg Overall Paris–Nice
 * 1st Stages 1 & 6
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Vuelta a Burgos
 * 1st Stage 2
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Escalada a Montjuïc
 * 1st Stages 1a & 1b
 * 1st Giro di Lombardia
 * 1st La Flèche Wallonne
 * 1st Milano–Torino
 * 1st Route Adélie
 * 1st Vuelta a Mallorca
 * 2nd Overall Tour of the Basque Country
 * 1st Stages 2 & 4
 * 2nd Liège–Bastogne–Liège
 * 5th UCI Road World Cup
 * 7th Overall Vuelta a España
 * 1st Jersey rosa.svg Points classification
 * 1st Stages 6 & 20
 * 7th Amstel Gold Race


 * 1998
 * 1st MaillotFra.PNG Road race, National Road Championships
 * 1st Jersey blue.svg Overall Vuelta a Asturias
 * 1st Stages 1 & 6
 * Tour de Suisse
 * 1st Prologue, Stages 3 & 8
 * Tour of the Basque Country
 * 1st Stages 1 & 5b
 * 1st Classique des Alpes
 * 1st Tour du Haut Var
 * 2nd Overall Paris–Nice
 * 2nd Liège–Bastogne–Liège
 * 5th Overall Vuelta a España


 * 1999
 * 1st Jersey green.svg Overall Tour de Romandie
 * 1st Prologue, Stages 2 & 3b
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Tour of the Basque Country
 * 1st Stage 1 & 5b
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme
 * 1st Stage 5b
 * 1st Prueba Villafranca de Ordizia
 * 2nd Overall Tour de Suisse
 * 1st Prologue
 * 4th Overall Giro d'Italia
 * 1st Jersey violet.svg Points classification
 * 1st Stages 4, 9 & 16
 * Held Jersey pink.svg after Stages 5–7 & 9–13


 * 2000
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme
 * 1st Stage 5b
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Tour Méditerranéen
 * 1st Stage 5
 * 1st Stage 7 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
 * 1st Stage 3 Tirreno–Adriatico
 * 2nd GP Miguel Induráin
 * 3rd Overall Tour of the Basque Country
 * 1st Stage 4
 * 3rd La Flèche Wallonne
 * 5th Road race, Olympic Games
 * 10th Liège–Bastogne–Liège


 * 2001
 * Tour de France
 * 1st Jersey polkadot.svg Mountains classification
 * 1st Stages 4 & 7
 * Jersey red number.svg Combativity award Overall
 * 1st Clásica de San Sebastián
 * 1st Polynormande
 * 2nd Overall Four Days of Dunkirk


 * 2002
 * Tour de France
 * 1st Jersey polkadot.svg Mountains classification
 * Jersey red number.svg Combativity award Overall
 * 1st Clásica de San Sebastián
 * 1st Coppa Ugo Agostoni
 * 1st Tour du Haut Var
 * 1st CSC Classic
 * 3rd Overall Paris–Nice
 * 1st Stage 3
 * 3rd Memorial Rik Van Steenbergen

Awards

 * 1st in (UCI) rankings: (1995, 1996, 1997 and 1999) (2nd in 1998)
 * Vélo d'Or international (1995) (2nd in 1997)
 * Vélo d'Or national (1992, 1995, 2002)
 * Mendrisio d'Oro (1995)

Ironman

 * 22nd Ironman Switzerland (2007)
 * 76th Ironman World Championship (2007)
 * 12th Ironman France (2008)
 * 376th Ironman World Championship (2018)

Doping
His name was on the list of doping tests published by the French Senate on 24 July 2013 that were collected during the 1998 Tour de France and found positive for EPO when retested in 2004.