What on earth is wrong with Iban Mayo?
 

This is the same guy that broke Armstrong's legs at Mont Ventoux a few years ago in the Dauphne?

Mayo's a 130 lb. pure climber riding like a 220 lb. club rider. What's going on? Is he sick? :eek:

There was a comment on bicycling.com that he was ill. No details though.

Joe

there seems to be an EPO shortage in the peloton...

he abandonded today.
(again).

he had one good season, he's an average rider who can climb
but can't string together 2 weeks of riding, let alone 3.

marty

It's a sign of all the riders who are suffering without their candy.

Mayo has often disappeared after much initial hype. All depends on who is currently setting the pace - very different from those training rides in the mountains...

His griping at the cameraman as he was suffering was just embarassing. After his two great finishes at the Dauphiné last month, I really thought he was back and we could expect something special from him at the Tour.

Memo to Mayo: If you don't want the world to witness your fallibility, then show up prepared and ready to compete; don't take your frustration with yourself out on a guy on the back of a motorbike with a 30-pound camera on his shoulder who's just trying to do his job!

Impact of Operation Puerto. . .
 

Seriously, I think we are seeing many riders hurting because their 'normal' training routine was interruped - and that 'normal' routine included an assortment of performance enhancing drugs. . .

Mayo is just one of the more obvious perhaps, but others in the peloton are looking bad. . .really bad.

Put Levi at the top of the list - wow does he look bad with no reason to back it up...

Miss today's stage?

I heard that he was sick the first week of the Tour. That would explain his piss poor TT.

Okay, if I understand what folks are saying: "the guys who did great in the mountains did great because they are still taking drugs"...AND "the guys like Mayo who are doing poorly are suffering because their drug supplier was arrested".

So, according to the "deep thinkers" at Bike Forums, riding well is proof you are a druggie, and riding poorly is proof you are a druggie.

That about sums it up.

No. Riding well long enough to establish a reputation as a good rider and then riding poorly without explanation in a time of doping scandal is the reason for our suspicions.

and guess where he was at that same year's Tour? dropped out on stage 15.
Fast forward to 2006 - he again wins a big Dauphine stage but where is he in July? yeah...I thought so.

Three thumbs up for that one Alan!!!!!!!!!

Mayo is injured....he's done a 'heart muscle'!..:D....(translation for Seppo's...he's gutless when the going gets tough)

mayo has never been able to control being on the razor, some riders never can, he doesnt seem to be able to stay on it very long either, he usually peaks way too early then cant back off and do it again for the TDF much less stay on it during an entire TDF

the lack of drugs in the peloton seems to be showing too :D

Not exactly out of charachter for Levi either. He's about where he's been at this stage in past tours. He's been prone to the occassional bad day.

That's about it. When he's on he's an incredible climber, maybe the best in the peloton. That doesn't happen enough though.

His DS was not tender about his performance after stage 10. mayo did not really give a proper excuse, he left, and apparently he has already settled a deal to move to Saunier Duval next year.

In his best Lloyd Bridges voice; "I guess I picked the wrong week to quit blood doping".

LMAO!