| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | José María Jiménez Sastre | ||
| Nickname | 'El Chava' | ||
| Born | February 6, 1971 El Barraco, Spain |
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| Died | December 6, 2003 (aged 32) Madrid, Spain |
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| Team information | |||
| Discipline | Road | ||
| Role | Rider | ||
| Rider type | Climbing specialist | ||
| Professional team(s) | |||
| 1993–2000 2001–2002 |
Banesto iBanesto.com |
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| Major wins | |||
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| Infobox last updated on November 12, 2007 |
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Jose María Jimenez Sastre (February 6, 1971 in El Barraco, Spain - December 6, 2003 in Madrid) was a professional road bicycle racer. His nickname was "El Chava".
When he turned professional, Jiménez was considered a potential successor of Miguel Indurain. He won the points jersey (2001) and the mountains jersey (1997–1999, 2001) of the Vuelta a España, finishing 3rd overall in 1998, 5th in 1999, and 17th in 2001.
He often attacked without considering the consequences, which sometimes resulted in spectacular wins in the toughest mountain stages. During stage eight of the 1999 Vuelta a España Jiménez attacked the 23% grade of the Angliru in rain and fog to catch Pavel Tonkov's long solo break at the line and take the stage in a two-man sprint. However, he would subsequently pay for his attacking style in the next stage, where he would often lose by 10 or more minutes. Jiménez received psychological treatment for depression, and retired from professional cycling in 2002, at which point he got married. He died of a heart attack in a clinic in Madrid at the age of 32.[1]
Spanish cyclist Carlos Sastre is Jimenez's brother-in-law.
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