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Konyshev returns to the spotlight
Posted: Sunday July 18, 1999 01:20 PM
ST GAUDENS, France (Reuters) -- Dmitry Konyshev put Russian professional cycling on the map when he finished second to American Greg LeMond in the 1989 world road championship. Ten years on, the first rider from the former Soviet Union to have made an impression in the paid ranks hopes to end his career with a major crown. "This is my last ambition -- to win the world title in Verona," he said after his victory on the 14th stage of the Tour de France on Sunday. "I live but 14 km from the world championship course in Garda and it will almost be a home race," said Konyshev, who married an Italian and has an Italian son, Alexander. The 33-year-old from Gorki was a man of firsts when he joined the Italian-based Russian team Alfa Lum a decade ago. Konyshev was the first rider from the Soviet bloc to finish on the podium of a world championship and the first Russian to win a Tour stage in 1990 in Pau. Russian cycling has come a long way since, with two wins in the Giro d'Italia thanks to Yevgeny Berzin and Pavel Tonkov. Former Soviet riders have triumphed in the most prestigious races. Vyacheslav Ekimov and Berzin won Tour stages, Moldovan-born Andrei Tchmil took the Paris-Roubaix and Paris-Tours classics, Berzin and Estonian Jan Kirsipuu held the Tour yellow jersey, and Ukrainian Sergei Gontchar became one of the best time trial specialists in the world. Latvian-born Russian Piotr Ugrumov was second in the Tour in 1994, Azerbaijan's Djamolidine Abdoujaparov won the Tour points standings three times. Kazakh Alexander Vinokourov claimed the Dauphine Libere this year. All these riders owe something to Konyshev, who confessed he might have had a better career had he not indulged in a life of parties, fast cars and easy money. "You know pretty well what happened to me since I won my last Tour stage in 1991. I enjoyed myself while the other Russian guys were working hard," he said. The Tour and the world championship are the two leading races and they are still eluding Russia. Konyshev would like to be the first on his farewell in Italy in October. "When I win, Russia wins a little too," he said. Despite his attachment to his native country, Konyshev has become an Italian, the same way Tchmil and Ekimov have become Belgians. "Well, my son and my wife are Italians, so there are 99 percent chances I will live in Italy when my career ends," he said. "I have not been to Gorki for 10 years, I have no more friends there."
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