1.
Azerbaijan (Iran)
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Azerbaijan or Azarbaijan, also known as Iranian Azerbaijan, is a region in northwestern Iran that borders Iraq, Turkey, the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Armenia, and the Republic of Azerbaijan. Iranian Azerbaijan is administratively divided into West Azerbaijan, East Azerbaijan, Ardabil, the region is mostly populated by Azerbaijanis, with minority populations of Kurds, Armenians, Tats, Talysh, Assyrians and Persians. Historic Azerbaijan was called Atropatene in antiquity and Aturpatakan in the pre-Islamic Middle Ages, some refer to Iranian Azerbaijan as South Azerbaijan and the Republic of Azerbaijan as Northern Azerbaijan, although others believe that these terms are irredentist and politically motivated. Since then the Azerbaijani people have been partitioned between nations, the territories south of the Aras River, which comprised the region historically known as Azerbaijan, became the new north-west frontier of the Persian Empire and later Iran. The name Azerbaijan itself is derived from Atropates, the Persian Satrap of Medea in the Achaemenid empire, Atropates name is believed to be derived from the Old Persian roots meaning protected by fire. The name is mentioned in the Avestan Frawardin Yasht, âterepâtahe ashaonô fravashîm ýazamaide which translates literally to. The name Atropat in Middle Persian was transformed to Adharbad and is connected with Zoroastrianism, a famous Zoroastrian priest by the name Adarbad Mahraspandan is well known for his counsels. Thus, until 1918, when the Musavat regime decided to name the newly independent state Azerbaijan, the oldest kingdom known in Iranian Azerbaijan is that of the Mannea who ruled a region south-east of Lake Urmia centred around modern Saqqez. The Manneans were a confederation of Iranian and non-Iranian groups, according to Professor Zadok, it is unlikely that there was any ethnolinguistic unity in Mannea. Like other peoples of the Iranian plateau, the Manneans were subjected to an ever increasing Iranian penetration, the Mannaeans were conquered and absorbed by an Iranian people called Matieni, and the country was called Matiene, with Lake Urmia called Lake Matianus. Matiene was later conquered by the Medes and became a satrapy of the Median empire, after Alexander the Great conquered Persia, he appointed as governor the Persian general Atropates, who eventually established an independent dynasty. The region, which came to be known as Atropatene or Media Atropatene, was much disputed, in the 2nd century BC, it was liberated from Seleucid domination by Mithradates I of Arsacid dynasty, and was later made a province of the Sassanid Empire of Ardashir I. Under the Sassanids, Azerbaijan was ruled by a marzubān, and, towards the end of the period, large parts of the region were conquered by the Kingdom of Armenia. Large parts of the made up part of historical Armenia. The parts of historical Armenia within what is modern-day Azerbaijan comprise, Nor Shirakan, Vaspurakan, Vaspurakan, of which large parts were located in what is modern-day Iranian Azerbaijan is described as the cradle of Armenian civilization. On 26 May 451 AD, an important battle was fought that would prove immensely pivotal in Armenian history. On the Avarayr Plain, at what is modern-day Churs, the Armenian Army under Vardan Mamikonian clashed with Sassanid Persia, heraclius, the Byzantine emperor, briefly held the region in the 7th century until peace was made with the Sassanids. After the Islamic Conquest of Iran, Arab invaders converted most of its people to Islam, rustam himself was born in Azerbaijan and led the Sasanian army into battle
2.
Road bicycle racing
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Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events. Professional racing has been most popular in Western Europe, centered historically on France, Spain, Italy, since the mid-1980s the sport has diversified with professional races now held on all continents of the globe. Semi-professional and amateur races are held in many countries. The sport is governed by the Union Cycliste Internationale, as well as the UCIs annual World Championships for men and women, the biggest event is the Tour de France, a three-week race that can attract over 500,000 roadside supporters a day. Road bicycle racing began as a sport in 1868. The first world championship was in 1893 and cycling has been part of the Olympic Games since the sequence started in Athens in 1896. Road racing in its modern form originated in the late 19th century, the sport was popular in the western European countries of France, Spain, Belgium, and Italy. Some of Europes earliest road bicycle races remain among the sports biggest events and these early races include Liège–Bastogne–Liège, Paris–Roubaix, the Tour de France, the Milan–San Remo and Giro di Lombardia, the Giro dItalia, the Volta a Catalunya, and the Tour of Flanders. They provided a template for other races around the world, while the sport has spread throughout the world, these historic races remain the most prestigious for a cyclist to win. Single-day race distances may be as long as 150 miles, races over short circuits, often in town or city centres, are known as criteriums. Individual time trial is an event in which cyclists race alone against the clock on flat or rolling terrain, a team time trial, including two-man team time trial, is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock. In both team and individual time trials, the start the race at different times so that each start is fair. Race distances vary from a few km to between approximately 20 miles and 60 miles, stage races consist of several races, or stages, ridden consecutively. The competitor with the lowest cumulative time to all stages is declared the overall, or general classification. Stage races may also have other classifications and awards, such as stage winners, the points classification winner. A stage race can also be a series of road races, the stage winner is the first person to cross the finish line that day or the time trial rider with the lowest time on the course. The overall winner of a race is the rider who takes the lowest aggregate time to complete all stages
3.
UCI Asia Tour
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The UCI Continental Circuits are continental circuits for a series of road bicycle racing competitions since 2005. The five circuits are inferior to the UCI World Tour, both the World Tour and the Continental Circuits comprise a series of races in which various cycling teams compete regularly. It was introduced by the Union Cycliste Internationale to provide an adequate and realistic context in order to encourage the expansion of cycling, everywhere in the world. There is a competition for the ranking, team ranking. The rider in the first place of the ranking of the continental circuit at the end of the season will be the sacred winner of his circuit. The list shows the UCI Africa Tour champions according to the year, there is a competition for the individual ranking, team ranking and country ranking with the most points gained from winning or achieving a high place in the races. The rider in the first place of the ranking of the continental circuit at the end of the season will be the sacred winner of his circuit. The list shows the UCI America Tour champions according to the year, there is a competition for the individual ranking, team ranking and country ranking with the most points gained from winning or achieving a high place in the races. The rider in the first place of the ranking of the continental circuit at the end of the season will be the sacred winner of his circuit. The list shows the UCI Asia Tour champions according to the year, there is a competition for the individual ranking, team ranking and country ranking with the most points gained from winning or achieving a high place in the races. The rider in the first place of the ranking of the continental circuit at the end of the season will be the sacred winner of his circuit. The list shows the UCI Europe Tour champions according to the year, there is a competition for the individual ranking, team ranking and country ranking with the most points gained from winning or achieving a high place in the races. The rider in the first place of the ranking of the continental circuit at the end of the season will be the sacred winner of his circuit. The list shows the UCI Oceania Tour champions according to the year, UCI Africa Tour UCI America Tour UCI Asia Tour UCI Europe Tour UCI Oceania Tour
4.
Rob Ruijgh
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Rob Ruijgh is a Dutch racing cyclist, who rides for UCI Continental team Pauwels Sauzen–Vastgoedservice. As a youth Ruijgh liked to watch cycling on television, after visiting the local velodome in Geleen, he started racing at the age of 9. Three years later he became Dutch Youth Champion for 12-year-olds in Oldenzaal, because Ruijgh continued to drive good results, he came into the picture at the former Dutch national coach Egon van Kessel. As he became older, as Junior cyclist National coach Egon van Kessel invited Ruijgh to compete against foreign opponents of his age, Rob did not disappoint, winning the highly regarded World Cup Giro della Lunigiana in 2004. Shortly after that he rode the Mens Junior World Championships in Verona. By a fall and a wasp sting Rob can not join the front of the race, in 2005 Ruijgh ride for Belgium team Amuzza. com. Davo, where former topsprinter Wilfried Nelisse was his team leader. In the second year Ruijgh took the chance to joint the training squad of Team Rabobank, because of a virus in 2007, he could not keep up his good results, which took him out for a few months. In 2007 Ruijgh joined the German Team Sparkasse, Ruijgh started to perform well again and in 2008 he came out for the Dutch national team for men under 23. In 2009 he continued his good results at Team BPL-Belisol, where he won Romsée-Stavelot-Romsée and his 11th place in the Tour of Britain showed his talent again. Therefore, team manager Daan Luijkx from team Vacansoleil Pro Cycling offered him an internship in mid-2009, after the internship in mid-2009, he became a pro with the Vacansoleil-DCM pro cycling team. And signed a contract until 2011 and he made his debut in the 2010 Tour of Qatar. After the Dutch championship in Beek, Netherlands, he broke his hand while training behind a scooter, the rest of the year he finished in the top 10 five times with a 3rd place in the Binche–Tournai–Binche. In 2011, Ruijgh had a great year, at the Dutch national championships he drove his team mate Pim Ligthart to the national title in Ootmarsum, Netherlands, finishing 6th himself. He also had a performance in the Critérium du Dauphiné. After these results Ruijgh made his debut in the Tour de France and he made an excellent impression as the best Dutch cyclist, finishing 21st in the general classification and 5th in the young riders classification,33 minutes 4 seconds behind winner Cadel Evans. Because of three reasons Ruijgh could not continue his rising star, in 2012 he could not perform in the Tour de France because of a knee injury. Ruijgh also had to quit the Tour of Spain, tests proved a parasite in his stomach was the reason for his inferior condition in 2012. Also 2013 did not start well for Ruijgh, When his beloved Amstel Gold Race was in his home ares, he fell, the recovery took longer than expected because he got fever after Liège–Bastogne–Liège
Mohammad Reza Bajoul (IRI)
Rob Ruijgh (NED)
