DUSHANBE, August 3, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Two Tajik nationals – Alisher Khoushvakhtov, teacher at Tajik Technical University, and Said Azizov, teacher at Dushanbe’s School # 28 – have finished their multi-country bicycle tour and returned home.

They returned to Dushanbe on August 2 and their relatives and friends as well as representatives from the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Tajikistan and media met them at the Dousti Square.

Said Azizov told Asia-Plus that they had many interesting adventures during the trip.  “The main thing we understood is that there are very many good people in the world.”

As it had been reported earlier, they started the journey on April 20 this year and planed to return to the Tajik capital on August 1.  The trip took them through thirteen countries.  Khoushvakhtov and Azizov had ridden through Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Turkmenistan.  In Russia, they rode through Krasndar Krai, Chechnya, and Dagestan.  In Iran, they visited four cities, including Tabriz, Tehran, Mashhad and Isfahan.  In Turkmenistan, they visited Ashgabat and returned to Tajikistan through Bukhara and Samarqand.

We will recall that upsetting incident took place Russia’s Krasnodar Krai.  On June 15, Alisher and Said went back to Russia from Ukraine.  As they were approaching the town of Temryuk in the Krasnodar Krai, a car of drunken men stopped the cyclists and beat up Said.  Alisher escaped and cycled to the nearest village to notify police.  When police arrived the men had left with Azizov''s bicycle and backpack where he kept his money and important documents.  Police later detained two of the assailants and the stolen documents and the bicycle were found and Khoushvakhtov and Azizov continued their trip.