Julen Goikoetxea Garate (18 August 1985 – 6 October 2006) was a
Basque
Basque may refer to:
* Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France
* Basque language, their language
Places
* Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France
* Basque Country (autonomous co ...
racing cyclist
Cycle sport is competitive physical activity using bicycles. There are several categories of bicycle racing including road bicycle racing, cyclo-cross, mountain bike racing, track cycling, BMX, and cycle speedway. Non-racing cycling spo ...
from
Ondarroa
Ondarroa is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Autonomous Community, northern Spain.
Main sights
*Church of St. Mary, in late Gothic style (late 15th century)
*Likona Tower, a ty ...
.
Goikoetxea started his international career in 2004 as a member of the
Alfus Tedes Garbialdi team. In his first two seasons he won five races.
profile at ciclismoenred.com Ciclismoenred profile
, ciclismoenred.com UCI ProTour
The UCI ProTour was a series of road bicycle racing, road bicycle races in Europe, Australia and Canada organised by the Union Cycliste Internationale, UCI (International Cycling Union). Created by Hein Verbruggen, former president of the UCI, i ...
team acknowledged his talent and contracted him for the 2007 season. Despite his success as a cyclist, he began to suffer from depression. He tried to kill himself several times before doctors took care of his health. As a result, he did not cycle any races since May 2006. On 6 October 2006 he committed suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death.
Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...
by jumping off his balcony.
Major results
;2004
: 1st Bergara
;2005
: 1st Ereño
: 1st Antzuola
: 1st Elgoibar
: 1st Zegama
References
External links
Profile at ciclismoenred.com
*
1985 births
2006 deaths
Spanish male cyclists
Suicides by jumping in Spain
Cyclists from Biscay
People from Ondarroa
2006 suicides
21st-century Spanish sportsmen
{{Spain-cycling-bio-1980s-stub