Video: Julio Jiménez: “I changed the cold of Ávila, for the Sun, of Maspalomas”

 

Felipe del Rosario Betancort

 

The one who was an excellent runner from the 60s to the 70s, and who was in love with Gran Canaria, but particularly with Maspalomas, I am referring to the great Spanish climber, one of the best in history, Julio Jiménez Muñoz, who was born on October 28, 1934, in Ávila, nicknamed “The Watchmaker of Ávila”, he achieved thirty victories in the professional field that began in Bilbao in 1959, standing out in the Tour de France with five victories, four in the Giro d'Italia. , plus three in the Vuelta a España. As an excellent climber and a brilliant record holder, he won the Mountain Prize three times in both the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España, several stages of the Giro d'Italia, 2 Spanish mountain championships, a Spanish Road championship, plus thirty victories in various national and international races. He was part of the best cycling teams of different periods such as: Goyoaga, Catigene, Faema, Flandría, KAS, Ford, Hutchinson, Kaskol, Bic, Eliolona, ​​he has an excellent track record where the legendary climber was on the verge of winning the Tour de France in 1967, after finishing second overall.

 

 

His main rivals were Anquetil, Pulidor, Bahamontes, and some more. However, in the 49th edition of the Giro d'Italia, in 1966, which was won by the Italian Gianni Motta, from the Molteni team, Julio Jiménez, who was racing with the Ford team of Frenchman Jacques Anquetil, the Spanish Julio Jiménez managed to win the second stage. May 19 from the town of Imperia to Monesi, a 60-kilometer mountain stage, and dressed in the pink jersey that he wore for eleven stages as leader of the same, which he lost on May 30 in Palma – Palma in a CRI, 46 kilometers, which was won by the Italian Vittorio Adoni, but  The fight continued in the 15th stages where he won again in front of Motta, and 16th, Motta won, and Julio was second just a second from the finish line, but in the end the Italian Gianni Motta was the winner of the Giro, but something had happened in stage thirteen, where the press and the public commented on what happened for the Spaniard to abandon the lead in a strange way.

 

-Let's see Julio, I have always heard that the 1966 Giro d'Italia, where you were the leader in the pink jersey, for eleven stages, and the press was confident in your victory, because of how strong you were, in that race, but in stage 13, you incomprehensibly lost the pink magic, what really happened?

 

-I actually lost the lead after 11 stages leading it, which I had won in the second stage and first high finish from Cesenatico to Reggio Emilia, I think it was about two hundred or so kilometers, but in stage 13 held on a circuit in Palma – Palma, 46 kilometers with a CRI, and I was truly excited to win the Giro, because I was strong, I planned to lose little time in the time trial, plus the recommendations of the team that had Anquetil as leader, who wanted me to I wouldn't risk it to look for a better result later, but I didn't pay attention because I trusted in my strength, but until now I haven't told it publicly, but I tell it to you, for our friendship, and the time is already past, look. Felipe, I had been dressed as a leader for eleven stages, that is, from the second to the twelfth, but something strange happened that worried me a lot because I received a note in my room, which I don't want to reveal, I really got scared, I immediately thought presumably in the “Italian mafia”, or if it was a joke, the case that was always heard that bets were held, the fact is that it was a joke or truth, I went out to run on stage thirteen, with my head somewhere else telling them some companions who had barely slept well, who had some stomach discomfort, etc., and of course I did not do anything to remain the leader, and once I lost the lead two days later I showed that I was fine and won in stage fifteen, from Arona to Brescia of 196 kilometers I think, but not with enough time to achieve the lead, finishing that Giro in fourth position overall, behind the Frenchman Jacques Anquetil, where the first two were Italians, Gianni Motta and Ralo Zilioli, and that was it, and not because of the CRI, nor because of anything else.

 

-However, with the loss of your leadership, several things were commented on the way you ran that day?

 

-Well, many things were said that were not true, that I let myself be won by money, or by the gift of a good car, but it was never because of that but because of what I just told you.

 

 -With my doubts clarified, let's move on to another interesting topic for us Canarians. Why did you become a Canarian resident for years?

 

-Well, very simple, I changed the cold of Ávila for the wonderful sun, and the wonderful climate of Maspalomas, here, I was living for many years, and I remember that it was on Francisco Hernández González street, where I became a resident, and a neighbor of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, in San Fernando de Maspalomas, for years, I founded a business in the San Fernando de Maspalomas Shopping Center, which was a hair salon, where I hired four people until I sold it.

 

-If you were so comfortable in Maspalomas, why did you definitely go to Ávila again?

 

-It really cost me a little, but I had to do it due to some family matters, and the business I had there, which required my presence, almost daily, but I never stopped coming to the Canary Islands, even for a week for years, as an obligatory vacation, Furthermore, I had and have good friends here, in Maspalomas, but there I had many things to solve, and then I was in some delicate health, etc.

 

-While in Ávila, did you recommend that runners come to Maspalomas to train?

 

-Well, of course, yes, I told him that I had everything to train with, flat, mountains, sun, good weather, excellent hotels, in short the truth, and nothing more, and of course a lot of people came, I almost became a southern ambassador. .

 

However, the saddest story of Julio Jiménez Muñoz came on June 8, 2022, in Ávila, after an unfortunate traffic accident that he suffered in the town of Avila, at the age of 87, and he died at the Nuestra Señora de Sonsoles Hospital. for the serious injuries suffered.

 

With his death, unpleasant news came to our house, since every month we called each other and he even came to my house to eat, where he knew my family, I have several interviews with him but this one I only ask a couple of questions, because The feelings with Julio Jiménez are still fresh.