Julio Jimenez: Former Tour de France runner-up and Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana stage winner dies aged 87

Former Tour de France runner-up Julio Jimenez has died at the age of 87. The Spaniard, nicknamed ‘The Watchmaker of Avila’, won five stages at the Tour de France, four at the Giro d’Italia and three at the Vuelta a Espana.

Ad/> He finished second at the Tour in 1967 behind Roger Pingeon and is regarded as one of the best climbers of his generation. Tour de France‘Definitely not’ – Froome can forget hopes of winning fifth Tour, says McEwen02/06/2022 AT 09:45 According to reports in Spain he died in a car crash when the vehicle he was in hit a wall.

President of the Provincial Council of Avila, Carlos Garcia, said in a statement that Jimenez «will always be a reference in sport from Avila and Spain» and «his record speaks for itself to classify him as one of the greats of cycling in a few years in which cycling was forged as a heroic and exciting sport». He added: «The memory of Julio Jimenez, training and competing in the mountain passes of the province of Avila will be perpetual and will be an example for current and future generations of cyclists that this land has always given.» Jimenez raced professionally from 1959 to 1969.

He won the mountain classification three times at both the Tour and the Vuelta. /> Tour de France‘Definitely not’ – Fifth title is beyond Froome, says McEwen02/06/2022 AT 09:42 Tour de FranceAlaphilippe able to train indoors, but remains doubtful for Tour de France12/05/2022 AT 15:09