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June 10, 2004, Stage 4: Bédoin to Mont Ventoux, 21.6km Individual Time Trial Remember Iban Mayo, the swashbuckling Basque climber who pushed Lance Armstrong to the limit in the 2003 Dauphiné Libéré? (He would go on to win the stage to Alpe d'Huez during the 2003 Tour de France and finish 6th overall.) Mayo returned to the Dauphiné Libéré in 2004 determined to improve on his second place finish the year before. He used the mountain time trial stage to Mont Ventoux to grab the race lead. Mayo powered up the climb to the lunar-like surface at the top, rode out of view around a corner (photo) and pretty much hasn't been seen since. (ed. - Since this page was first published, Mayo notably won Stage 6 of the 2006 Dauphiné and Stage 19 of the 2007 Giro d'Italia.) He shattered Jonathan Vaughters' 5-year old record up Ventoux by about a minute, grabbed the yellow jersey and won the overall a few days later. With all the attention for his feat, he asked the media to leave him alone. He then had a disastrous Tour which he didn't finish. |