| José Azevedo | |
| Fullname: | José Bento Azevedo Carvalho |
| Nickname: | The Ace |
| Birth Date: | 19 September 1973 |
| Birth Place: | Vila do Conde, Portugal |
| Height: | 1.7m (05.6feet) |
| Weight: | 61kg (134lb) |
| Discipline: | Road |
| Role: | Rider (retired) Team manager |
| Ridertype: | Climbing specialist |
| Proyears1: | 1994–1995 |
| Proyears2: | 1996–2000 |
| Proyears3: | 2001–2003 |
| Proyears4: | 2004–2006 |
| Proyears5: | 2007–2008 |
| Proteam5: | Benfica |
| Manageyears1: | 2010–2011 |
| Manageyears2: | 2012–2013 |
| Manageyears3: | 2014–2019 |
| Majorwins: | Grand Tours
1 TTT stages (2002)Deutschland Tour, 1 stage National Time Trial Championships (1996, 1997, 2001) |
José Bento Azevedo Carvalho (born 19 September 1973) is a Portuguese retired road racing cyclist, and most recently, general manager of UCI WorldTeam .[1] During his racing career, Azevedo rode for between 2001 and 2003 and for between 2004 and 2006.
Born in Vila do Conde, Azevedo's principal career successes were fifth overall at the 2001 Giro d'Italia, sixth overall at the 2002 Tour de France and fifth overall at the 2004 Tour de France. He also made a second place in the Germany Tour, just behind Michael Rogers. He won the queen-stage of the German competition.
Until 2005 he was a renowned domestique; his primary role was to serve as Lance Armstrong's lieutenant in mountain stages, specifically stages in the Pyrenees Mountains. Lance Armstrong described him as the best lieutenant he has ever had. Nicknamed "The Ace", he moved to US Postal (which became the now-defunct Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team) from Team ONCE (also defunct) in 2004.
In 2006 Azevedo wore the #1 background during the Tour de France and he claimed the highest finish in the general classification amongst his Discovery Channel teammates. Azevedo finished 18th overall, 37 minutes and 11 seconds behind race winner Óscar Pereiro, following the disqualification of apparent winner Floyd Landis.
To be able to spend more time with his family, Azevedo opted for a home team. He became the leader of the Benfica cycling team and aimed to win the Tour of Portugal. Azevedo finished his career at the end of the Tour of Portugal 2008.
In 2013 he was the directeur sportif for Chris Horner when he won the Vuelta.[2]
| Grand Tour | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giro d'Italia | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Tour de France | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 26 | 5 | 30 | 17 | |
| Vuelta a España | DNF | DNF | — | — | — | — | 34 | DNF | — | DNF | — |