Top Spanish cyclist, 32, dies

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SPANISH cyclist Jose-Maria Jimenez, once touted as a successor to five-time Tour de France winner Miguel Indurain, has died of a suspected heart attack at the age of 32.

Jimenez, a nine time stage winner of the Tour of Spain, sustained the attack in Madrid's San Miguel psychiatric hospital where he was a patient on Saturday, medical sources reported.

Jimenez, known for his exuberant personality, retired from professional cycling last year suffering from nervous depression.

A specialist climber the former Banesto team member was crowned the Tour of Spain's 'king of the mountains' between 1998 and 2001.

His best finish in the Vuelta was a third in the 1998 edition. The previous year he had come in eighth in the Tour de France.

Jimenez was born on February 6, 1971 in El Barraco in central Spain, turning professional for Banesto in 1993.


This is a good read http://www.cyclingnews.com/features.php?id=features/2003/jimenez

It is not my intention to start a controversy, but why are young men in this sport dying from heart conditions?

Originally posted by JDM
It is not my intention to start a controversy, but why are young men in this sport dying from heart conditions?

There has been a few over the last 12 months thats forsure, it happens in all walks of life though.

I suppose you're right. But I just can't understand why someone who is participating in healthy, non-contact activity would die suddenly. I can't think of anyone in the NFL dying suddenly in recent memory - considering the severe abuse they expose themselves to. And while I am aware of the recent scandals in cycling, I just hope that these deaths aren't somehow drug related.

One of the guys I used to race against was a Jr. that had just turned 18 back in '97. Very promising young rider.

He had a massive heart attack at the end of a crit. that year, died on the spot ........

The kid was one of the best riders I knew, and was going to make it to the pro. level if he kept up his level of riding. No drugs, no history of heart problems, no anything ....... just died.

It sucked in the local race scene for a while after that. :(

It's very sad for his family and friends. There is always a question mark when an elite athlete dies so young but my thinking is that innocence should be assumed unless there is evidence to the contrary. In this case there is no suggestion of any contributing factor other than bad luck.

I had a friend many years ago who was an elite athlete and died suddenly from a brain aneurism at 24 yrs. A rarity, but nonetheless it took a long time for his friends to come to terms with it (including me).

This is interesting:

Police investigate Jiménez death
www.cyclingnews.com
According to Spanish newspaper El Mundo, police are investigating the death of José María Jiménez as examination of Jiménez' room at the Clínica San Miguel, Madrid, where he died of an apparent heart attack on Saturday, has revealed a five gram quantity of a white powder police believe may be cocaine.

However, final conclusions have yet been released from the autopsy performed on Jiménez on Sunday at the Instituto Anatómico Forense.

Hospital staff found a plastic container of white powder in Jiménez' room and alerted police who requested the container be handed over for analysis. A blood sample from Jiménez' body is also being subjected to toxicological analysis.

Originally posted by JDM
I suppose you're right. But I just can't understand why someone who is participating in healthy, non-contact activity would die suddenly. I can't think of anyone in the NFL dying suddenly in recent memory - considering the severe abuse they expose themselves to. And while I am aware of the recent scandals in cycling, I just hope that these deaths aren't somehow drug related.

Cameroon soccer international Marc Vivienne Foe suffered a fatal heart attack this year at the age of 28. Shortly afterwards, British explorer Sir Rannulph Fiennes also suffered a heart attack, this time, fortunately, not fatal. The following articles appeared around this time raising the issue of heart failure in otherwise fit people:

Sudden heart death (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/medical_notes/3025550.stm)

Is it possible to be too fit? (Guardian) (http://www.guardian.co.uk/health/story/0,3605,974072,00.html)


Fiennes, incidentally, completed seven marathons in seven days about a month ago - this was only months after his heart by-pass op.

Originally posted by scarab
Cameroon soccer international Marc Vivienne Foe suffered a fatal heart attack this year at the age of 28. Shortly afterwards, British explorer Sir Rannulph Fiennes also suffered a heart attack, this time, fortunately, not fatal. The following articles appeared around this time raising the issue of heart failure in otherwise fit people:

Sudden heart death (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/medical_notes/3025550.stm)

Is it possible to be too fit? (Guardian) (http://www.guardian.co.uk/health/story/0,3605,974072,00.html)


Fiennes, incidentally, completed seven marathons in seven days about a month ago - this was only months after his heart by-pass op.

Good points, but the difference with Jiménez, is the white powder which the police beleive is cocaine. The guys you mentoin didn't leave white powder laying around on a soccer pitch or on the side of a mountain, a year after they'd quit their sport.

cheers

Well I hope he wasn't on HGH or EPO or any of those other things which cheats and losers resort to. When will cycling ever be rid of the scourge of drugs?

Rest in Peace,
So sad.

Rummaging through some old things just now, I found Jimenez's autograph in my Vuelta "Mini Guia" from 2001. It was between Zabel's and Sevilla's.

Originally posted by DiabloScott
Rummaging through some old things just now, I found Jimenez's autograph in my Vuelta "Mini Guia" from 2001. It was between Zabel's and Sevilla's.

Cool! Looks like you were there in person that year. It must have been quite an experience. How does it compare with watching on TV?

Very sad to see one of the best climbers ever die in such a yooung age. Hist faith was a lot like Pantnains.
They were both among the best climbers ever.
They both went to a hospital because of a depression.
I can't help wondering if they got their depressions because of doping, I have read that some kind of doping drugs can lead to depressions.

Btw. Carlos Sastre from Team CSC is married to Jose Jimenez's sister and Sastre was very affected by the tragic death and therfore his preparations for this seson have been affected.
Sastre even thinks that his back problems in the start of this season has something to do with the fact that Sastre have been affected by the tragic death of his brother in law.