Iban Mayo - any news??

[Jan the Man]

I will answer this one day, maybe.

No worries- I understand that you do not want to say anything which may affect your anonimitiy.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I have generally heard what Hrotha says (good post BTW), but wish to clarify something I saw:

I had the fortune of watching the live feed of nearly the full stage (sans commercials) in 2004 to Plateau de Beille. This is where Mayo, who had previously crashed on stage 4 I believe, crashed again. Further up the road on the penultimate climb with a couple domestiques around, he stopped, now some 5+ minutes back of the leaders or so, and got off the bike in obvious pain. He stood and looked around for a few moments like he was done, a couple of riders rode by as he waited. He then got back on the bike and kept going. This was a pretty cool thing to see and he got a cheer out of both the room I was in, and from the fans gathered around on the side of the road. He made it all the way to the end of the stage, even though he was now well over 10 minutes back. Unfortunately he was unable to continue the next day. So whenever anyone describes him as being mentally weak or too emotional (not that anyone directly said that), this day comes to mind.

As to his B sample, while I'm convinced he was on EPO like everyone else, that there is the chance that, like what happened with Heras, his name ended up on the proverbial blacklist, and once one test was close enough, that was it for his career.

Glad he seems happy today.

 

[craig1985]

Got Dropped, do you know if Mayo still rides (you know, to keep fit) or not?

 

[geisterhome]

Really like to revisit those old days, reading old threads about it gives me maybe even more than rewatching the races.
That 2003 Stage to ADH was certainly something else, I got into cycling 1999, LAs first year of dominance, from the start I disliked him, was rooting for Zülle the first year, later for Ulrich and anyone who challenged him.

So by 2003 LA had won the TdF 4 times and each and every year made he pretty much decided the Tour in his favor already on the first major mountain stage, raising out of his saddle, attacking and putting 1 to 2 mins between him and the best of the rest. This continued for the rest of the mountains (yes he had a bad day in 1999 and 2000, but near the end of the tour and he was leading comfortably by then and could afford it, never being in real danger to lose the Tour). In 2001 and 2002 he was at his peak IMO, setting attack after attack and at the worst finish with his best competitors. Then 2003 and the ADP stage came along a for the first time it looked different, going into the climb and with USP accelerating early I expected nothing less than another attack with him easily winning the Stage (and pretty much the entire race ) but then his team was spent and that attack didn't come, he was riding along with Vino and Hamilton. Normally being isolated, he would leave those two behind and they would see him at the finish line. This time he wasn't better than the best after 5,6 GC contenders, that already was smth completely new. Sometime later Beloki, Mayo and a few others made it back into the first group and they started attacking, Beloki and Hamilton didn't get any real separation, but then Mayo did, a bit later also Vino. That was the first time I have seen some riders climbing genuinely better than LA. I believe LA wasn't really expecting it, otherwise he wouldn't have spent his entire team so early in the climb, they were clearly going all in, he was thinking to pull off the exact same thing he did in ADH 2001, when he went on the attack early and put 2 mins between him and Ulrich.

Later that Tour, when he won in Luz Ardiden, was the last time I have seen LA pulling off one of those attacks. The following years he was always staying with the best in the Mountains, while never really attacking before the finish line, relying on his superior TT- and TTT-ability of his teams.

 

[Scarponi]

Really like to revisit those old days, reading old threads about it gives me maybe even more than rewatching the races.
That 2003 Stage to ADH was certainly something else, I got into cycling 1999, LAs first year of dominance, from the start I disliked him, was rooting for Zülle the first year, later for Ulrich and anyone who challenged him.

So by 2003 LA had won the TdF 4 times and each and every year made he pretty much decided the Tour in his favor already on the first major mountain stage, raising out of his saddle, attacking and putting 1 to 2 mins between him and the best of the rest. This continued for the rest of the mountains (yes he had a bad day in 1999 and 2000, but near the end of the tour and he was leading comfortably by then and could afford it, never being in real danger to lose the Tour). In 2001 and 2002 he was at his peak IMO, setting attack after attack and at the worst finish with his best competitors. Then 2003 and the ADP stage came along a for the first time it looked different, going into the climb and with USP accelerating early I expected nothing less than another attack with him easily winning the Stage (and pretty much the entire race ) but then his team was spent and that attack didn't come, he was riding along with Vino and Hamilton. Normally being isolated, he would leave those two behind and they would see him at the finish line. This time he wasn't better than the best after 5,6 GC contenders, that already was smth completely new. Sometime later Beloki, Mayo and a few others made it back into the first group and they started attacking, Beloki and Hamilton didn't get any real separation, but then Mayo did, a bit later also Vino. That was the first time I have seen some riders climbing genuinely better than LA. I believe LA wasn't really expecting it, otherwise he wouldn't have spent his entire team so early in the climb, they were clearly going all in, he was thinking to pull off the exact same thing he did in ADH 2001, when he went on the attack early and put 2 mins between him and Ulrich.

Later that Tour, when he won in Luz Ardiden, was the last time I have seen LA pulling off one of those attacks. The following years he was always staying with the best in the Mountains, while never really attacking before the finish line, relying on his superior TT- and TTT-ability of his teams.

Similar with Froome and even Contador, he stopped putting those monster single climb efforts in, I wonder how much that takes out of your body over a career when you ride at that high level.

 

[geisterhome]

Similar with Froome and even Contador, he stopped putting those monster single climb efforts in, I wonder how much that takes out of your body over a career when you ride at that high level.

Really nice a got a reply to this...

Maybe just part of the normal physical decline? I really don't know how much wear and tear it is on your body cycling at top pro level. I always assumed that it is rather low compared to other sports, mean contact sports, etc.

LA IMO peaked in 2001 and 2002. 2003 was a bit of an off-year, he was clearly worse than before and slightly worse than the years after that. So 2004 and after he was somewhat of a diesel climber, never attacking before getting close to the finish line. Maybe it was cos he didn't feel the need to do so? After all, his main competitors 2004 and 2005 in the mountains were much worse in TT than he was, however, that was also the case 2002, where he attacked all the time with no need. So yes, I guess he just declined slightly. Interesting though, I believe he really never even tried to attack those 2 years, no instance where he rode away just to get caught shortly after.

 

[burning]

Ferrari always claims that 2005 was Lance's best year and he easily won the Tour without breaking a sweat, so I will go with his word.

 

[Red Rick]

Similar with Froome and even Contador, he stopped putting those monster single climb efforts in, I wonder how much that takes out of your body over a career when you ride at that high level.

I don't think it's about longevity. I think it's about consistency throughout a GT. Froome suffered in the last week of both the 2013 and 2015 Tours. I think you perhaps go in a little lighter or a little less rested into a GT than is optimally safe.

Contador didn't really suffer in his one climb performances as much as other efforts after he started fading a bit. Especially the 15-25 minute climbs and hilly ITTs were the last things he still had it.

I think Contador may have had a little tendency to overrace in the spring in his last few years. But then crashing every frigging Tour doesn't help.

 

[RedheadDane]

So... are there any news?

Also, the last post before this thread went into hiatus, bit sad now…

 

[geisterhome]

Ferrari always claims that 2005 was Lance's best year and he easily won the Tour without breaking a sweat, so I will go with his word.

Oh really, I didn't know about that. Any idea were I can read up about those comments? Would be love to get more Information on that,

 

[Damiano]

So... what did he do after his career ended?

 

[fmk_RoI]

So... what did he do after his career ended?

Climbed aboard the Freedom Bird and went back to the World, man, just like the way Curtis sang it all those years ago.

 

[fmk_RoI]

Is the "Iban Mayo became a truck driver" myth yet another bit of bollix that originated in Hamilton's cash-in Secret War chamoir? Or is it just another bit of scuttlebutt that Hamilton/Coyle happily repeated without even attempting to check if it was true?

 

[samhocking]

Nozal is the truck driver and where the Mayo truck driver myth comes from I think. Iban Mayo runs a pretty successful electrical installations company was the last I heard.

https://www.marca.com/2012/12/20/ciclismo/1355997894.html

 

[fmk_RoI]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/549522132792012801

View: https://twitter.com/friebos/status/549522132792012801

 

[samhocking]

I think it was Fran Reyes also who discussed this with them on the podcast. Probably why Daniels commented on it too here I guess.

 

[fbjim]

LA IMO peaked in 2001 and 2002. 2003 was a bit of an off-year, he was clearly worse than before and slightly worse than the years after that. So 2004 and after he was somewhat of a diesel climber, never attacking before getting close to the finish line. Maybe it was cos he didn't feel the need to do so? After all, his main competitors 2004 and 2005 in the mountains were much worse in TT than he was, however, that was also the case 2002, where he attacked all the time with no need. So yes, I guess he just declined slightly. Interesting though, I believe he really never even tried to attack those 2 years, no instance where he rode away just to get caught shortly after.

Old post, but in Richard Moore's Etape, LA claims he over-rode himself in the 2003 Dauphine because he was ticked off that Mayo was hanging with him on the climbs. He clearly still hated the guy, in typical Lance style.

 

[samhocking]

Mayo certainly was impressive during 2004 Dauphine. Won it too! As a huge fan of his at the time, how the Tour fell apart for him that year was horrible given he smashed Armstrong by 2 minutes up Ventoux ITT. Could have had a very different ending to his career without that crash I always felt.

 

[42x16ss]

Old post, but in Richard Moore's Etape, LA claims he over-rode himself in the 2003 Dauphine because he was ticked off that Mayo was hanging with him on the climbs. He clearly still hated the guy, in typical Lance style.

Lance couldn't stand anyone who didn't get with the script - Pantani, Mayo, Garzelli, Contador, Vino (to a lesser extent). He didn't mind Basso, but that seemed to be because Basso wasn't trying to target him.

Attacking riders really annoyed him, for some reason.

 

[42x16ss]

Mayo certainly was impressive during 2004 Dauphine. Won it too! As a huge fan of his at the time, how the Tour fell apart for him that year was horrible given he smashed Armstrong by 2 minutes up Ventoux ITT. Could have had a very different ending to his career without that crash I always felt.

Armstrong had it over Mayo mentally unfortunately. He basically goaded Mayo into going too deep at the Dauphine, and eliminated one of his main TDF contenders a month before the grand depart

 

[samhocking]

Mayo crashed out of contention on the cobbled stage is my memory?

 

[42x16ss]

Mayo crashed out of contention on the cobbled stage is my memory?

He DNFd, annoyed with his form, but yeah IIRC he was a good way back thanks to CSC hammering the cobbles

 

[Valv.Piti]

Pretty sure peak shape Armstrong was 2001 TdF. Ullrich was pretty good that year, but he just obliterated everyone. 2002 insane as well. 2003 a bit of an off year, but better competition made him look weaker as well. 2004 a bit decline from peak years, and 2005 a bit more decline, but obviously still the best with quite a margin, although at that point Basso was as good as a climber as he was. After all that was only one year before Robobasso. Imagine if the Basso and Ullrich versions of 2006 had met LA in the TdF, that would have been fun.

Unfortunately that didnt happen.. Ullrich 2003 without a doubt the closest, Beloko was nowhere near 2000-2002, but I feel he was extremely good in 2003 when he crashed. Basso was also whatever compared to LA, at least in 2004, in 2005 he was better. Then you have Vino and Mayo versions of 2003, Vino not enough of a climber and Mayo too inconsistent and bad TT'er. Zulle 1999 lost the race before the race had started. Pantani 2000, but not a real threat. 1999 Pantani, yes, probably also 1998 had been a major threat.

The americans? Landis and Tyler was nowhere near close.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Pretty sure peak shape Armstrong was 2001 TdF. Ullrich was pretty good that year, but he just obliterated everyone. 2002 insane as well. 2003 a bit of an off year, but better competition made him look weaker as well. 2004 a bit decline from peak years, and 2005 a bit more decline, but obviously still the best with quite a margin, although at that point Basso was as good as a climber as he was. After all that was only one year before Robobasso. Imagine if the Basso and Ullrich versions of 2006 had met LA in the TdF, that would have been fun.

Unfortunately that didnt happen.. Ullrich 2003 without a doubt the closest, Beloko was nowhere near 2000-2002, but I feel he was extremely good in 2003 when he crashed. Basso was also whatever compared to LA, at least in 2004, in 2005 he was better. Then you have Vino and Mayo versions of 2003, Vino not enough of a climber and Mayo too inconsistent and bad TT'er. Zulle 1999 lost the race before the race had started. Pantani 2000, but not a real threat. 1999 Pantani, yes, probably also 1998 had been a major threat.

The americans? Landis and Tyler was nowhere near close.

I think the heatwave had a big effect in 2003, Lance always disliked the heat and many of his most impressive wins came after a hard stage with bad weater. Ullrich IMO should have stayed at Bianchi, one year away from Telekom/T-Mobile and he suddenly was great again, I don't think that the environment on that team did him any good.
Speaking of Mayo, nowadays he's just riding his bike for fun with friends and posts about it on social media on a regular basis, he seems to have made peace with his past.