# 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.

## 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.

## Career achievements
### Major results
#### 1988

    8th Overall Tour de la Communauté Européenne
       1st Points classification

#### 1989

    1st Overall Tour d'Armorique
       1st Stage 1
    1st Stage 3 Tour du Limousin
    1st Stage 3 (TTT) Tour de la Communauté Européenne
    3rd Trofeo Luis Puig
    10th Grand Prix de Wallonie

#### 1990

    1st 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 la Communauté Européenne
       1st Points classification
    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 Overall Kellogg's Tour
    9th Grand Prix du Morbihan
    10th Grand Prix de Fourmies

#### 1991

    2nd UCI Road World Cup
    2nd Overall Paris–Nice
    2nd Overall Four Days of Dunkirk
       1st Stage 2a
    2nd Züri–Metzgete
    3rd Grand Prix de Cannes
    4th Overall Tour de l'Oise
    4th Clásica de San Sebastián
    7th Amstel Gold Race
    7th Paris–Tours
    7th Paris–Camembert
    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 Points classification
       1st Stage 6
    Volta a Catalunya
       1st Points classification
       1st Stages 2, 5a & 7
    Vuelta a Burgos
       1st Points classification
       1st Stages 3, 4 & 6
    1st Stage 3 Euskal Bizikleta
    2nd 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
    10th Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana

#### 1993

    1st Overall Vuelta a La Rioja
       1st Stages 2 & 3
    1st Overall Vuelta a Mallorca
       1st Stages 2, 3 & 4
    1st Trofeo Luis Puig
    1st Clasica de Alcobendas
    Vuelta a España
       1st Stages 3 & 7
    Volta a Catalunya
       1st Points classification
       1st Stages 3 & 4
    Paris–Nice
       1st Stages 2 (TTT) & 8a
    Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
       1st Points classification
       1st Stage 6
    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 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
    6th Trofeo Masferrer
    7th Overall Tour of the Basque Country
       1st Stage 2
    8th Paris–Tours
    9th Overall Critérium International
    10th Milan–San Remo

#### 1995

    1st Overall Vuelta a España
       1st Points classification
       1st Mountains classification
       1st Stages 3, 5, 8, 15, & 17
    1st Overall Paris–Nice
       1st Stage 2
    1st Overall Volta a Catalunya
       1st Stages 1 & 7
    1st Overall Critérium International
       1st Stages 1 & 2
    1st Milan–San Remo
    1st La Flèche Wallonne
    1st Klasika Primavera
    1st Boucles de l'Aulne
    1st Stage 3 Grand Prix du Midi Libre
    1st Stage 2 Vuelta a Mallorca
    2nd Overall Tour of the Basque Country
    2nd Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
       1st Stage 2b
    4th Overall Tour de France
       1st Points classification
       1st Stage 12
       Held after Stages 2–3
    4th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
    4th Clásica de San Sebastián
    6th Overall Grand Prix du Midi Libre
    6th Leeds International Classic
    7th Overall Tour of Galicia
       1st Stage 3

#### 1996

    1st Overall Paris–Nice
       1st Stages 3 & 4
    1st Overall Grand Prix du Midi Libre
       1st Points classification
       1st Stages 2 & 5
    1st Overall Route du Sud
    1st Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
       1st Points classification
       1st Stage 1
    1st Classique des Alpes
    1st Classic Haribo
    Vuelta a España
       1st Points classification
       1st Stages 3 & 13
    1st Stage 1 Tour of the Basque Country
    2nd Overall French Road Cycling Cup
    2nd Trofeo Foral de Navarra
    3rd Overall Tour of Galicia
    3rd Milano–Torino
    5th Vuelta a Burgos
    5th Paris–Tours
    6th Overall Escalada a Montjuïc
    6th Tour du Haut Var
    7th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
    9th Giro di Lombardia
    10th Clásica de San Sebastián
    10th Züri–Metzgete

#### 1997

    1st Time trial, UCI Road World Championships
    1st Overall Paris–Nice
       1st Prologue & Stage 6
    1st Overall Vuelta a Burgos
       1st Stage 2
    1st Overall Escalada a Montjuïc
       1st Stages 1a & 1b (ITT)
    1st Giro di Lombardia
    1st La Flèche Wallonne
    1st Milano–Torino
    1st Boucles de l'Aulne
    1st Trofeo Sóller
    2nd Overall Tour of the Basque Country
       1st Stages 2 & 4
    2nd Overall Vuelta a Castilla y León
       1st Stage 1
    2nd Overall Critérium International
    2nd Liège–Bastogne–Liège
    2nd Klasika Primavera
    2nd Trofeo Palma de Mallorca
    3rd Tour du Haut Var
    5th UCI Road World Cup
    7th Overall Vuelta a España
       1st Points classification
       1st Stages 6 & 20
       Held after Stage 6
    7th Amstel Gold Race
    7th Trofeo Manacor

#### 1998

    1st Road race, National Road Championships
    1st Overall Vuelta a Asturias
       1st Prologue & Stage 6
    Tour de Suisse
       1st Prologue, Stages 3 & 8 (ITT)
    1st Tour du Haut Var
    1st Classique des Alpes
    2nd Overall Paris–Nice
    2nd Overall Tour of the Basque Country
       1st Stages 1 & 5b (ITT)
    2nd Overall Vuelta a Andalucía
    2nd Overall Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme
    2nd Liège–Bastogne–Liège
    3rd Overall Euskal Bizikleta
       1st Stages 3 & 4a
    5th Overall Vuelta a España
       Held after Stage 3
       Held after Stage 9
    6th Trofeo Manacor

#### 1999

    1st Overall Tour de Romandie
       1st Points classification
       1st Prologue, Stages 2 & 3b (ITT)
    1st Overall Tour of the Basque Country
       1st Stage 1 & 5b (ITT)
    1st Overall Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme
       1st Points classification
       1st Stage 5b (ITT)
    1st Prueba Villafranca de Ordizia
    2nd Overall Tour de Suisse
       1st Points classification
       1st Prologue
    2nd Grand Prix Breitling (with Abraham Olano)
    4th Overall Giro d'Italia
       1st Points classification
       1st Stages 4, 9 & 16
       Held after Stages 5–7 & 9–13
    4th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
    4th GP Miguel Induráin
    4th Klasika Primavera

#### 2000

    1st Overall Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme
       1st Stage 5b (ITT)
    1st Overall Tour Méditerranéen
       1st Stage 5
    1st Stage 7 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
    Tour de France
       1st Stage 4 (TTT)
       Held after Stages 4 & 5
    2nd GP Miguel Induráin
    3rd Overall Tour of the Basque Country
       1st Stage 4
    3rd La Flèche Wallonne
    4th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
       1st Stage 3
    Olympic Games
       5th Road race
       5th Time trial
    5th Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
    8th Grand Prix EnBW (with Abraham Olano)
    10th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
    10th Subida al Naranco
    10th Chrono des Nations

#### 2001

    1st Clásica de San Sebastián
    1st Polynormande
    Tour de France
       1st Mountains classification
       1st Stages 4 & 7
       Combativity award Overall
    2nd Overall Four Days of Dunkirk
    4th Overall Grand Prix du Midi Libre
    5th Road race, National Road Championships
    9th Overall Tour de Suisse

#### 2002

    1st Clásica de San Sebastián
    1st Coppa Ugo Agostoni
    1st Tour du Haut Var
    1st CSC Classic
    Tour de France
       1st Mountains classification
       Combativity award Overall
    1st Mountains classification, Tour du Poitou Charentes et de la Vienne
    2nd Grand Prix de Fourmies
    2nd Karlsruher Versicherungs-Grand Prix (with Nicolas Jalabert)
    3rd Overall Paris–Nice
       1st Stage 3
    3rd Memorial Rik Van Steenbergen
    5th Overall Tour of Qatar
    9th GP Ouest-France
    10th Chrono des Nations

#### General classification results timeline

Grand Tour general classification results :
| Grand Tour | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 |
| Giro d'Italia | — | — | DNF | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — |
| Tour de France | — | 71 | 34 | DNF | DNF | 4 | DNF | 43 | DNF | — | 54 | 19 | 42 |
| / Vuelta a España | 70 | — | — | 35 | 75 | 1 | 19 | 7 | 5 | DNF | — | — | — |
| Major stage race general classification results ||||||||||||||
| Race | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 |
| / Paris–Nice | 11 | 2 | — | 111 | 40 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | 3 |
| Tirreno–Adriatico | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 4 | — | — |
| Tour of the Basque Country | — | — | — | — | 7 | 2 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | — | — |
| / Tour de Romandie | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | DNF | — | — |
| Critérium du Dauphiné | — | 58 | — | — | — | — | DNF | — | DNF | — | 12 | — | 44 |
| Volta a Catalunya | — | — | 64 | 71 | DNF | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tour de Suisse | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | DNF | 22 | 2 | — | 9 | — |

#### Classics results timeline

| Monument | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 |
| Milan–San Remo | 41 | 17 | 9 | 4 | 10 | 1 | — | 17 | 15 | 115 | 11 | — | 69 |
| Tour of Flanders | — | 9 | 24 | 57 | 16 | — | — | 80 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Paris–Roubaix | — | 18 | — | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Liège–Bastogne–Liège | — | 11 | 57 | 9 | 37 | 4 | — | 2 | 2 | DNF | 10 | — | — |
| Giro di Lombardia | — | 8 | — | — | 22 | — | 9 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Classic | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 |
| Amstel Gold Race | — | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | 28 | — | — | — |
| La Flèche Wallonne | — | — | 18 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 19 | DNF | 3 | — | — |
| Clásica de San Sebastián | 2 | 4 | 103 | 34 | — | 4 | 10 | 19 | 59 | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| Züri Metzgete | — | 2 | — | 68 | — | 12 | 10 | 26 | — | — | — | — | 91 |
| Paris–Tours | — | 7 | 5 | — | 8 | — | 5 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — |
Legend :
| — | Did not compete |
| DNF | Did not finish |

### 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)