Laurent Jalabert Biography

Occup.	Athlete
From	France
Born	November 30, 1968
Age	56 years

Early Life
Laurent Jalabert was born on November 30, 1968, in Mazamet, a village in the Tarn department of Southern France. He grew up in a working-class family with his moms and dads and two siblings, including his younger sibling Nicolas, who would also go on to become an expert bicyclist. From an early age, Jalabert revealed great interest and promise in the sport of biking, which led him to pursue it as a profession.

Expert Career
Laurent Jalabert turned professional in 1989, signing his first contract with the French group Toshiba-Look. However, it was not up until he signed up with the Spanish team ONCE in 1992 that his profession truly removed. Over the next few years, Jalabert went on to become one of the best and most well-rounded riders in the worldwide peloton.

He accomplished considerable success as a sprinter, winning various stages in numerous races, consisting of 11 at the distinguished Tour de France. In addition to these stage triumphes, Jalabert likewise excelled in time trials and sloping classics, which made him the label "The Jackal" for his flexible and relentless racing style.

Throughout his career, Jalabert won several classic races, such as Paris-Nice (1995-1997), Milan-San Remo (1995), and the Vuelta a España (1995). He also recorded the green jersey for the very best sprinter in the Tour de France on 4 events (1992, 1995, 1996, and 1997), proving his supremacy in the sprints.

Jalabert's finest minute can be found in 1997 when he ended up being the first Frenchman since Bernard Hinault in 1981 to win the road race World Championship, kept in San Sebastián, Spain. His victory represented the pinnacle of his profession and solidified his status as one of France's biggest cyclists.

As a testament to his all-around abilities, Jalabert was granted the prominent Vélo d'Or award in 1995 as the very best expert bicyclist of the year, which he shared that year with the fantastic Miguel Indurain.

Retirement and Post-Cycling Career
Jalabert chose to retire from expert biking in 2002. After hanging up his wheels, he remained close to the sport, handling numerous functions, such as team manager and consultant. In 2005, he took control of as the head coach of the French nationwide biking group, a position he held up until 2008.

Additionally, Jalabert has actually taken pleasure in a successful profession as an analyst for French television, working mainly on the Tour de France broadcasts. He has actually also stayed involved in charity work, taking part in events related to cancer research study, offered his individual family history with the disease.

Personal Life
Laurent Jalabert has always been a really private individual, rarely discussing his individual life. He married his other half Stéphanie, with whom he has two kids, a child called Tom, and a daughter called Lola. Both of his kids are associated with sports: Tom as a triathlete and Lola as a professional golfer.

In 2013, Jalabert suffered a severe accident while biking near his home in Montauban, France. He was struck by a car and sustained numerous fractures, however he has actually considering that made a complete healing.

Throughout his life, Laurent Jalabert has been surrounded by a close-knit circle of loved ones, including his brother Nicolas, who has always been his greatest advocate and confidante.

Legacy
Laurent Jalabert's tradition worldwide of expert biking is one of fantastic success and versatility. He will permanently be remembered as one of the best French cyclists to have actually ever competed, particularly in the 1990s, a duration that was extensively controlled by non-French riders. His solid and aggressive racing design made him the respect and appreciation of both his competitors and fans alike, making him a real icon of the sport.

Our collection contains 7 quotes who is written / told by Laurent.

Related authors: Miguel Indurain (Athlete), Lawrence Taylor (Athlete), Bernard Hinault (Athlete)

7 Famous quotes by Laurent Jalabert

"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"

"Also, for a team as strong as like ours, the Tour will always remain the biggest goal of the whole year, and personally I will certainly concentrate most of my energy on this race"

"Especially with the signing of riders with climbing abilities and the new arrival of Tyler Hamilton, who has the strength and ability to become a great leader for the big tours. All in all, I feel this is a very complete team"

"It's true that this year, following my accident in the pre-season, I kind of lost morale and I felt like quitting at the end of this year. But today I can say that I want to be a professional bike rider in the year 2003 as well"

"I'm very aware that to reach the same level and have the same amount of success will be extremely difficult"

"We certainly will prepare consciously and professionally, but still you cannot predict the future"

"Of course, if this season turns out to be terrible for me - if I get injured again and this prevents me from reaching a satisfying level, then I could change my decision again. But at this moment, it absolutely feels like the right thing for me to continue through 2003"