Zenon Jaskuła
Zenon Jaskuła ( born June 4, 1962 in Błażejew at Kórnik ) was a Polish cyclist. As the only pole he won a place on the podium at the Tour de France.
Childhood
Jaskuła spent his childhood in the countryside of Wielkopolska ( Greater Poland ), where his parents ran a peasant economy. Very quickly Jaskuła infected with the Cycling fever. His older brother Roman contested local races and not without success. Zenon Jaskuła accompanied his brother in many smaller racing events. Over time, he himself went to the starting line and made by very good trip and pugnacity attracted attention. Bronisław Krawczyk, coach at Radklub Piast Srem, to the young Jaskuła accepted.
Career
Soon Jaskuła represented the Association WLKS Wielkopolska Poznań ( 1982). Initially, the instructor Jaskułas unrecognized talent. Only a few months later he was able to prevail and win the silver medal at the national championships in cycling time trial of the junior category. In 1981 Jaskuła was appointed to the national U23.
After two years with WLKS Wielkopolska Jaskuła hired at Gwardia Katowice. With his brother Roman went to Upper Silesia, with whom he became the Polish Vice- Champion in the team time trial. The period from 1984 to mid-1985 was the worst in the entire career Jaskułas. After leaving Katowice, he signed a contract with the team Lech Poznań. Shortly afterwards, he was already in the service of another club called Stomil go.
In September 1985, after much back and forth, he donned the jersey of Orlęta Gorzów. about. There he met the amateur world road champion in 1985 Lech Piasecki, who, as he opted for a professional contract with the Italian team Del Tongo - Colnago, remained only half a year in Gorzów.
On Jaskułas shoulders weighed from that point on the responsibility for the sporting successes. In the Polish Championships he could three times in a row, from 1986 to 1988, win gold in the time trial. In addition, there medals came in the pair time trial: Silver in 1987 with his brother Roman and Bronze in 1988 with Robert Chełstowski.
Serious Injury
1982 in Austria, he was hit by a car, which overlooked the driving column. You put him firmly in a fracture of the skull and predicted that he would not return to the peloton. Jaskuła but battled back.
In 1986 Jaskuła his debut at the Peace Race. In 1985 he won a stage at the French Circuit Cycliste Sarthe stage race. In Western Europe Jaskuła participated in several amateur races. At the 40th edition of the Peace Race in 1987 Jaskuła landed on the 5th rank, 1989, he was even third in the most important cycling race in the Eastern Bloc countries. From his good side, he was also in the Federal Republic, when he landed the second place in the overall standings of the Tour of Lower Saxony. At the Olympic Games in Seoul in 1988 Jaskuła won the silver medal in the 100 km team driving. In the Polish National Team at that time also drove Marek Leśniewski, Andrzej Sypytkowski and Joachim Halupczok.
Professional time
As vice world champion of amateurs in a 100km team driving in 1989, after a new 2nd place in the Niedersachsen- tour, he moved to Italy, where he signed a contract with the team Diana - Colnago. By the end of his career he held the Italian team loyalty. Jaskuła drove for Del Tongo -MG Boys (1991 ), GB -MG Maglificio (1992-1993), Jolly Componibili Cage 1994 ( 1994), Aki- Gipiemme (1995), Brescialat (1996 ), Mapei - GB ( 1997) and Ros Mary- Amica chips (1998).
Right away he was second in Tirreno- Adriatico and won gold at the national championships in road racing. After the season average 1991 Jaskuła reported back with some top results in 1992. At the Tour de France 1993, he was surprisingly third behind the Spaniard Miguel Indurain and Swiss Tony Rominger. These Jaskuła won two stages (one in the team time trial ).
On this success Jaskuła could not tie in the following years. Although he was third at Milan -Turin in 1994 and the Tour de Suisse in 1995, but the really big coup did not materialize until 1997. After a pretty messed-up Tour de France he went to Portugal to redress tour. Jaskuła won a victory at the Volta a Portugal heavy and was further second in the Tour de Pologne.
End of career
In the preparations for the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996, history repeated itself in the year 1982. Jaskuła was bumped by a car, came to fall and broke his thigh. Although the injury healed, but Jaskuła ran after the shape of its luster days.
The readers of the sports newspaper " Przegląd Sportowy " voted it the second best athlete in Poland in 1993.
After the career
After the end of his career, Jaskuła tried as a businessman. In Stara Miłosna in Warsaw, he opened among other things, a dependence of the Italian company Mapei, which produces adhesives and pastes.