Javier Otxoa

Javier Otxoa Palacios (30 August 1974 to 24 August 2018) was a Spanish cyclist who rode for the Kelme professional team and later became one of the leading Paralympic cyclists of his country. His name was sometimes spelled Javier Ochoa in media reports. In 2000 he won a mountain stage of the Tour de France on the summit finish at Hautacam, after breaking away early with Nico Mattan, dropping him on the climb to the Col de l'Aubisque, and holding off a chasing group that included Lance Armstrong by 42 seconds. In February 2001 a car hit him and his twin brother Ricardo during training; Ricardo died, and Javier survived after a month in a coma, left seriously disabled, yet he kept racing. At the 2004 Summer Paralympics he won gold in the road race and time trial event and silver in the individual pursuit. He was disqualified from the individual pursuit at the 2008 Paralympics for riding too close behind his opponent Darren Kenny. He died in 2018 while living in Alhaurin de la Torre, Malaga.