In 2004 Iban Mayo gave Armstrong reason to worry as he beat the Texan by nearly two minutes on the famed French climb the Mont Ventoux during the Dauphine Libere (a race he went on to win). In front of the press Armstrong simply shook it off and said something to the effect of “get back to me in four weeks” however their must have been some degree of worry in Lance. At the time Mayo was showing signs of greatness and many wondered if this was a sign of things to come.
However over the next few seasons crashes, injuries and just plain old bad luck damped the spirits of the Euskaltel rider. Mayo did not win a race for over a two year period, however that all changed last Friday when Iban won the queen stage of this years Dauphine (the toughest stage in any stage race is often called the queen stage).
This should be a huge confidence boost for Mayo especially since stage 16 of this years Tour de France is nearly identical to the stage he won last Friday during the Dauphine (profile to the left). Mayo told reports after the win “Finally I have emerged from the dark tunnel. That’s two years I have not won because of injuries to my knee and back,” said Mayo.
Hats off Iban, welcome back to the top echelon of the sport!
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