Julen Goikoetxea | |
Fullname: | Julen Goikoetxea Garate |
Birth Date: | 18 August 1985 |
Birth Place: | Ondarroa, Spain |
Death Place: | Ondarroa, Spain |
Julen Goikoetxea Garate (18 August 1985 – 6 October 2006) was a Basque racing cyclist from Ondarroa.
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.[1] UCI ProTour 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 by jumping off his balcony.