When you think about Uzbekistan and cycling, your mind might conjure the name Djamolidine Abdoujaparov, a.k.a. the Tashkent Terror, an erratic yet effective sprinter who won nine stages of the Tour de France and three green jerseys in the 1990s. Or perhaps you’ll remember the Tashkent City Women’s Team, which point-farmed its way into several WorldTour races in 2024, including the Tour de France Femmes, where it ended the race with just one rider, Yanina Kuskova.
There are other chapters to the Central Asian nation’s pro cycling story, and the latest is being written by the country’s newest professional rider, Nikita Tsvetkov, who completed his debut Grand Tour at the Giro d’Italia in May.
Tsvetkov has been a promising talent over the last few years, but gained the opportunity to turn professional this year thanks to a new Uzbek sponsor stepping into a long-running Italian team. Now known as Bardiani-CSF-7 Saber, the team has gained a financial boost this year through the investment of Uzbek sportswear brand 7 Saber, which has signed a multi-year agreement as a named sponsor of the team.
Dan Challis
As well as providing extra funding for the team, the partnership is designed to provide young Uzbek cyclists with the opportunity to develop at the top level. “Our country is entering a new phase of sporting growth, and cycling is becoming one of the most dynamic and ambitious disciplines,” said Otabek Umarov, 7 Saber President in a press release when the sponsorship was announced.
“Together, we will work to create opportunities for young athletes, strengthen international cooperation, and promote the rise of Uzbek sport to a new global level.” Long-time team manager Bruno Reverberi added that “a new project is taking shape, designed to create an international cycling academy, with the ambition of developing riders from all corners of the world.” Tsvetkov is the very first rider to benefit from this initiative. (Track rider Sergei Rostovstev also signed for the team this year, but is yet to race in the jersey).
Monument dreams
Tsvetkov began cycling from an early age under the encouragement of his father, a former cyclist. He made his first real impression in the sport as a first-year under-23 racer in 2024, when he signed for Tashkent City, the men’s team associated with the women’s squad that raced the Tour de France Femmes the same year.
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