Iban Mayo - any news??

[Alex76]

Watching the 2003 TdF and ADH stage made me remember why this guy was so likable... is there any news on him - obviously he#s not racing, but anyone know what he's doing?

 

[therealtimshady]

After prat mcquaid said his negative b sample was "not the result they wanted" they retested his sample amazingly it was found to be positive and Mayo retired saying he was pretty much set up. He has no plans to return ever

 

[rickshaw]

After prat mcquaid said his negative b sample was "not the result they wanted" they retested his sample amazingly it was found to be positive and Mayo retired saying he was pretty much set up. He has no plans to return ever

power corrupts
absolute power corrupts absolutely

 

[GotDropped]

After prat mcquaid said his negative b sample was "not the result they wanted" they retested his sample amazingly it was found to be positive and Mayo retired saying he was pretty much set up. He has no plans to return ever

None of his B samples were ever found "negative". For some reason or another his B sample in certain labs wasn't conclusive enough... or whatever... but... artificial EPO is either in the sample, or it isn't. The A sample had artificial EPO in it, and the B sample also had artificial EPO in it. It is just a shame the UCI didn't try so hard in catching out the other cheats. Oh, and before anyone decides to write without thinking, I should know, I rode on the same team as Iban Mayo.

 

[hrotha]

Mayo doesn't seem to be too concerned about all this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtX4mJO2Yd0

 

[Hairy Wheels]

None of his B samples were ever found "negative". For some reason or another his B sample in certain labs wasn't conclusive enough... or whatever... but... artificial EPO is either in the sample, or it isn't. The A sample had artificial EPO in it, and the B sample also had artificial EPO in it. It is just a shame the UCI didn't try so hard in catching out the other cheats. Oh, and before anyone decides to write without thinking, I should know, I rode on the same team as Iban Mayo.

I've ridden on the same team as a few well-known riders as well (admittedly not former Tour contenders). While it's a nice thing to say to yourself, it doesn't mean you know jack, that is, unless you were on the same team at the same time as this went down, and given the size of the teams, doing at least some of the same race programme. So?

 

[slowspoke]

I thought he was driving trucks for his families work?

 

[42x16ss]

I hope he's doing well whereever he is. I loved watching Mayo race, he was one of those guys who threw everything at his opponents. I also loved the way he used to get under Armstrong's skin for some reason.

His 2003 stage win on the AdH was epic too!

 

[Alex76]

I thought he was driving trucks for his families work?

One of the tour de France stage winners and GT contenter.... to truck driver.

 

[GotDropped]

I've ridden on the same team as a few well-known riders as well (admittedly not former Tour contenders). While it's a nice thing to say to yourself, it doesn't mean you know jack, that is, unless you were on the same team at the same time as this went down, and given the size of the teams, doing at least some of the same race programme. So?

Oh sure, so Iban Mayo only doped once, and got caught... in 2007 mind you, and in 2003 when he was dropping Armstrong in his prime he was clean. That's pretty fu$%&@ up logic you have there. We actually get along quite well Iban and I and I quite like the guy personally, so I'm not going to go into more details, but I know enough to know that it wasn't a set-up, and he was caught fair and square. I am just disappointed that the same treatment wasn't given to others at the time, or maybe as another posted put it, he got under the skin of someone important.

 

[GotDropped]

Mayo doesn't seem to be too concerned about all this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtX4mJO2Yd0

Do you understand what they are talking about? What they are laughing about?

 

[GotDropped]

One of the tour de France stage winners and GT contenter.... to truck driver.

He is NOT driving trucks for his family.

 

[hrotha]

Do you understand what they are talking about? What they are laughing about?

It goes something like this, but the joke is untranslatable:
Manu Redondo: Booooooo!
Iban Mayo: Hahaha, you gave me such a fright.
MR: Pa' quitarte el EPO ("to stop your EPO", a play on pa' quitarte el hipo, "to stop your hiccups")
IM: Hahahaha... which I didn't have!
Both: hahahaha

They appear to be pretty drunk.

 

[Alex76]

He is NOT driving trucks for his family.

GotDropped - can you shed any light on what he's doing... just a rough indication, i am curious what a guy like him would be doing after his career ended like that.

Which team did u ride with him on - SD?

 

[GotDropped]

It goes something like this, but the joke is untranslatable:
Manu Redondo: Booooooo!
Iban Mayo: Hahaha, you gave me such a fright.
MR: Pa' quitarte el EPO ("to stop your EPO", a play on pa' quitarte el hipo, "to stop your hiccups")
IM: Hahahaha... which I didn't have!
Both: hahahaha

They appear to be pretty drunk.

Exactly. They are not drunk btw. The interviewer is known to do those sorts of things and Iban is like that all the time.

 

[GotDropped]

GotDropped - can you shed any light on what he's doing... just a rough indication, i am curious what a guy like him would be doing after his career ended like that.

Which team did u ride with him on - SD?

I haven't seem him for a couple of years but when I do, I'll ask him. When I saw him last, he was living off what he had earned and invested (bought properties etc...).

I'd rather not divulge what team I rode on with Iban for reasons of anonymity.

 

[Angliru]

I hope he's doing well whereever he is. I loved watching Mayo race, he was one of those guys who threw everything at his opponents. I also loved the way he used to get under Armstrong's skin for some reason.

His 2003 stage win on the AdH was epic too!

+1000
Mayo was my favorite back in the day. His out of the saddle climbing style is rather similar to Contador's (or vice versa since Mayo came first). Yeah Armstrong had no qualms about saying that he didn't like Mayo and for what reason I can't surmise other than that he wouldn't go with the US Postal program and would attack without hesitation. 2003 was a great year for sure.
His Alpe d'Huez win was my highlight. Him being taken down in Armstrong's crash on Luz Ardiden was the low. Funny that many of the Armstrong supporters were upset that Mayo had the audacity to attack after the crash.
The nerve of him! Maybe he should have helped LA back on his bike and gave him a friendly push to get him started.

 

[Angliru]

One of the tour de France stage winners and GT contenter.... to truck driver.

He's not a truck driver. From what I've heard he has a business or two that is involved in shipping merchandise. He's not destitute and penniless if that is what you're implying.

 

[Hairy Wheels]

Oh sure, so Iban Mayo only doped once, and got caught... in 2007 mind you, and in 2003 when he was dropping Armstrong in his prime he was clean. That's pretty fu$%&@ up logic you have there. We actually get along quite well Iban and I and I quite like the guy personally, so I'm not going to go into more details, but I know enough to know that it wasn't a set-up, and he was caught fair and square. I am just disappointed that the same treatment wasn't given to others at the time, or maybe as another posted put it, he got under the skin of someone important.

I said no such thing and that wasn't my logic. I was taking a stab at someone who suggests they know all b/c they rode on the same squad. I rode on the same squad as some dopers who were charging at the time...and I knew it. I was asking the same thing of said poster......

 

[GotDropped]

I said no such thing and that wasn't my logic. I was taking a stab at someone who suggests they know all b/c they rode on the same squad. I rode on the same squad as some dopers who were charging at the time...and I knew it. I was asking the same thing of said poster......

You don't have to be on the same team at the time of the positive to know stuff. What you have done, and know, has absolutely nothing to do with what other people might know about completely different events. So stop mixing issues. I was responding to a different post that commented that Iban's B sample was negative when that is just not true. His B sample was never negative, it just wasn't a conclusive positive, and was re-tested, various times. Something that may be considered unfair compared to the treatment given to other cyclists but it still doesn't mean Iban is innocent. He isn't. I have ridden with Iban in the past and know enough to know that there is no surprise about the positive. I'm not just anyone giving an opinion based on what I have read in the clinic and in the press, but as someone who has been on the inside. If that to you means I know "jack", then I really couldn't care what you think.

 

[craig1985]

I haven't seem him for a couple of years but when I do, I'll ask him. When I saw him last, he was living off what he had earned and invested (bought properties etc...).

I'd rather not divulge what team I rode on with Iban for reasons of anonymity.

If you did ride as a pro, you were either on Euskaltel or SD (or you rode with him him before he turned pro). But why would he go from dropping Armstrong on Alpe d'Huez to taking EPO, when if you claim he is naturally talented enough not to need EPO? Where you well aware that he was doping (as in an open secret)?

 

[GotDropped]

If you did ride as a pro, you were either on Euskaltel or SD (or you rode with him him before he turned pro). But why would he go from dropping Armstrong on Alpe d'Huez to taking EPO, when if you claim he is naturally talented enough not to need EPO? Where you well aware that he was doping (as in an open secret)?

WTF?!?!?!?! Why the F are you putting words into my mouth!!! When did I claim he is naturally talented enough not to need EPO?!!?!?! WTF!!! I didn't say either one thing or the other! All I said was that his B sample was NEVER negative, and that I rode in the same team as Iban, and that it wasn't a surprise. Nothing more. Oh, and that his case was handled differently to other cases (in regards to the re-testing of the B sample). Please re-read this thread before posting such ridiculous comments.

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

Gotdropped - a question for you. Why did Mayo 'lose it' so quickly. He was there and then he was gone. What went wrong?

 

[hrotha]

Gotdropped - a question for you. Why did Mayo 'lose it' so quickly. He was there and then he was gone. What went wrong?

I'll give you the standard, non-insider explanation to see how it differs from the insider view.

Firstly, there's the psychological aspect. Mayo was mentally pretty weak, he didn't handle pressure too well, and when things went badly he shut down. Then, there's the Clinic aspect: Euskaltel were on something great in 2003, with Losa as their doctor, but after the 2004 Dauphiné when the UCI was tipped off by you know who, coupled with the loss of Losa following the Millar debacle, Euskaltel were watched closely and couldn't replicate their past form. Mayo wasn't strong enough to deal with the stress of going into the Tour as a top favourite knowing he didn't have a white lunch bag anymore, and losing time on the cobbles only made it worse. From 2004 on, Euskaltel were suspicious, and so was Mayo. He had a sort of renaissance with Saunier Duval, although we all know how that was and how it ended, but even then he wasn't consistent at all.

So, to summarize the standard view: he was a big talent, probably the best u23 Spanish rider of 1999 (and that was after getting over a serious, career-threatening injury), but he was also mentally weak and relied on dope a bit too much, both physically and psychologically.

 

[GotDropped]

I'll give you the standard, non-insider explanation to see how it differs from the insider view.

Firstly, there's the psychological aspect. Mayo was mentally pretty weak, he didn't handle pressure too well, and when things went badly he shut down. Then, there's the Clinic aspect: Euskaltel were on something great in 2003, with Losa as their doctor, but after the 2004 Dauphiné when the UCI was tipped off by you know who, coupled with the loss of Losa following the Millar debacle, Euskaltel were watched closely and couldn't replicate their past form. Mayo wasn't strong enough to deal with the stress of going into the Tour as a top favourite knowing he didn't have a white lunch bag anymore, and losing time on the cobbles only made it worse. From 2004 on, Euskaltel were suspicious, and so was Mayo. He had a sort of renaissance with Saunier Duval, although we all know how that was and how it ended, but even then he wasn't consistent at all.

So, to summarize the standard view: he was a big talent, probably the best u23 Spanish rider of 1999 (and that was after getting over a serious, career-threatening injury), but he was also mentally weak and relied on dope a bit too much, both physically and psychologically.

Wow hrotha, who are you? I couldn't have answered that question as I was no longer in the game when Mayo "lost it". If I had of answered, it would have just been my opinion. But it sounds like you know a lot more than the average Joe.