Iban Mayo
Encyclopedia
Iban Mayo Diez is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
) is a professional road bicycle racer. His successes have been overshadowed by doping.
Renowned as a climber, Mayo turned pro with in 2000, and became one of the Basque Country's prospects for glory. He stayed with Euskaltel-Euskadi throughout 2000-2006. The biggest result came in the 2003 Tour de France
2003 Tour de France
The 2003 Tour de France started and ended in Paris. Lasting from July 5 to July 27 the race covered 3,427.5 km , proceeding clockwise in twenty stages around France, including six major mountain stages...
, when he won a stage
Stage (bicycle race)
In sports, a stage, or leg, or heat, is a unit of a race which has been divided in several parts for the reason such as length of the distance to be covered, as in a multi-day event. Usually, such a race consists of "ordinary" stages, but sometimes stages are held as an individual time trial or a...
up Alpe d'Huez
Alpe d'Huez
L'Alpe d'Huez is a ski resort at . It is a mountain pasture in the Central French Alps, in the commune of Huez, in the Isère département in the Rhône-Alpes region.-Tour de France:L'Alpe d'Huez is one of the main mountains in the Tour de France...
. He finished the Tour sixth.
In 2004 he won the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, regarded as preparation for the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
. He beat Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong
Lance Edward Armstrong is an American former professional road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support...
by 2 minutes in a time trial on Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France, located some 20 km northeast of Carpentras, Vaucluse. On the north side, the mountain borders the Drôme département. It is the largest mountain in the region and has been nicknamed the "Giant of Provence", or "The Bald...
, breaking the record. He was seen as a dangerous outsider for the Tour de France in the same year
2004 Tour de France
The 2004 Tour de France was the 91st, taking place from July 3 to July 25, 2004. It consisted of 20 stages over 3391 km.Lance Armstrong became the first to win six Tours de France. Armstrong had been favored to win, his competitors seen as being German Jan Ullrich, Spaniards Roberto Heras and...
. It turned out a disappointment. After losing time due to a crash, he lost more in the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
due to injuries and mononucleosis
Infectious mononucleosis
Infectious mononucleosis is an infectious, widespread viral...
. He quit before the 15th stage.
After a lackluster 2005, in 2006 he returned in the Dauphiné Libéré with 2nd place in Briançon
Briançon
Briançon a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department....
and a win on the stage to La Toussuire. He was seen as a contender for the 2006 Tour de France
2006 Tour de France
The 2006 Tour de France was the 93rd Tour de France, taking place from July 1 to July 23, 2006. It was won by Óscar Pereiro following the disqualification of apparent winner Floyd Landis....
, but retired during the 11th stage.
In 2007 Mayo rode for , taking his first Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
stage win. On July 30, 2007, the UCI
Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland....
confirmed he had failed a test for EPO
Erythropoietin
Erythropoietin, or its alternatives erythropoetin or erthropoyetin or EPO, is a glycoprotein hormone that controls erythropoiesis, or red blood cell production...
during the Tour de France, which he finished 16th . On October 22, the Spanish federation cleared Mayo after a second test proved negative. The UCI president Pat McQuaid
Pat McQuaid
Patrick "Pat" McQuaid is a former Irish professional road racing cyclist and current president of the Union Cycliste Internationale .-Background:...
stopped short of clearing the rider, pending further tests. On December 19, a French laboratory confirmed the positive test.
In 2008, the Court of Arbitration for Sport
Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is an international arbitration body set up to settle disputes related to sport. Its headquarters are in Lausanne and its courts are located in New York, Sydney and Lausanne, Switzerland...
upheld Mayo's two year's ban, which ended on 31 July 2009.
Major results
2001- 1st, Stage 6, Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, Pontcharra - Briançon
- 1st, Classique des AlpesClassique des AlpesClassique des Alpes was a classic taking place as a mountainous single-day cycling race. It took place in Chartreuse Mountains, beginning in Chambéry and finishing in Aix-les-Bains....
- 1st, Overall, Grand Prix du Midi LibreGrand Prix du Midi LibreThe Grand Prix du Midi Libre was a multiple-stage cycling course in the south of France. The race, named after the newspaper that organized it, was first organized in 1949 and was an important preparation courses for the Tour de France...
- 11th, Overall, Vuelta a EspañaVuelta a EspañaThe Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages...
2002
- 5th, Overall, Vuelta a España2002 Vuelta a EspañaThe 57th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from September 7 to September 29, 2002...
2003
- 1st, Overall, Vuelta al País Vasco
- 2nd, Overall, Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
- 2nd, Liège–Bastogne–Liège
- 6th, Overall, Tour de France2003 Tour de FranceThe 2003 Tour de France started and ended in Paris. Lasting from July 5 to July 27 the race covered 3,427.5 km , proceeding clockwise in twenty stages around France, including six major mountain stages...
- 1st, Stage 8, Sallanches - L'Alpe d'Huez
2004
- 1st, Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
- 2nd, Vuelta al País Vasco
- 2nd, Classique des AlpesClassique des AlpesClassique des Alpes was a classic taking place as a mountainous single-day cycling race. It took place in Chartreuse Mountains, beginning in Chambéry and finishing in Aix-les-Bains....
- 1st, Overall, Vuelta Asturias
- 1st, Subida al NarancoSubida al NarancoSubida al Naranco is a professional cycle road race held in Spain in early June each year. The event was first run in 1941 but was not held consistently until 1981. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour.-Winners:...
- 1st, Clásica de Alcobendas
- 1st, Stage 1, Alcobendas - Puerto de Navacerrada
- 1st, Stage 2, Collado Villalba - Collaldo Villalba
2006
- 1st, Overall, Vuelta a BurgosVuelta a BurgosVuelta Ciclista a Burgos is an elite men's professional road bicycle racing event held annually in the Burgos province of Spain. Since 2005, Vuelta a Burgos has been a multi-day stage race as part of the UCI Europe Tour.-Palmarés:...
- 1st, Stage 4, Vilviestre - Lagos de Neila
- 1st, Stage 6, Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, Briançon - La Toussuire
- 1st, Subida a UrkiolaSubida a UrkiolaSubida a Urkiola is a one-day cycling race in Durango, Biscay of the Basque Country. The first edition began in 1931 and is organized by the Sociedad Ciclista Bilbaina, but has not been held consistently until 1984 to present. Since 2005, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe...
2007
- 1st, Stage 19, Giro d'ItaliaGiro d'ItaliaThe Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
, Treviso - Comano Terme - 2nd, Stage 8, Tour de FranceTour de FranceThe Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
, Grand Bornand - Tignes