The Tour de France is full of stories. Every day we highlight a historical moment that can be linked to the upcoming stage. This time stage 12: the touching life story of Javier Otxoa, the man who beat Lance Armstrong on the Hautacam.
In the tenth stage of the 2000 Tour, a large part of the peloton experienced a very difficult day: a ride of over 200 kilometers with four tough Pyrenean climbs and a finish on the Hautacam, the rain pouring down and an unleashed Armstrong.
The then 25-year-old Otxoa goes on an adventure together with the French attacker Jacky Durand and the Belgian Nico Mattan. Along the way, the Basque is the first to reach the top on every climb, earning him the polka dot jersey. Durand and Mattan cannot keep up with his pace, leaving Otxoa alone with 60 kilometers to go.
In the group with favorites, Armstrong leaves nothing intact of the competition. The American drops Jan Ullrich and Marco Pantani, after which he goes hunting for Otxoa alone. The Kelme rider starts the Hautacam with a comfortable lead, but it shrinks visibly. In the end, he holds on and stays 42 seconds ahead of Armstrong.
A year later, things go horribly wrong with Otxoa: on February 15, 2001, Javier and his twin brother Ricardo are hit during a training ride. Ricardo dies and Javier is in a coma for two months. After two years of rehabilitation, Javier starts cycling again. But he can only participate in competitions for athletes with a disability.
Otxoa proves to have mental resilience, because in 2004 he wins Paralympic gold in the road time trial and silver in the individual pursuit in track cycling. Four years later he prolongs his title in the road time trial. Shortly afterwards he becomes ill. After an illness of ten years, the Basque dies on August 24, 2018, just six days before his 44th birthday.