In the fourth stage of the Tour de France, the typical break of the day formed after less than two kilometers into the 153.5km stage. Iban Mayoz was one of the riders in the break and quite happy to show his Footon Servetto jersey on the front.
When riders go in a long break of the opening week in the Tour, they know that chances are slim to succeed. "We knew it was going to be very difficult to end up in front, because it was a stage screaming for a bunch sprint, but you always have to take your chances," says Mayoz.
As Mayoz points out, sometimes the peloton can make mistakes. "We got caught with three kilometers to go, and with the nervous finale and all the roundabouts in the end, that's a distance where a peloton can always get messed up and gives up an option to contest."
Sometimes, a little bit of luck can help, too, as Sylvain Chavanel found out in stage two. "You could say Chavanel had some luck in Spa: he made his game, took a massive lead and won the stage. Then you think: why can't it be my turn?"
Mayoz adds that without trying, a rider never has the chance to succeed in a break. "If you ride in the peloton, just like in these days where we always landed on pursuit of others, you won't get anything."
Mayoz had a good spring and filled up on self confidence in Italy."I came here to the Tour with the courage of doing what the great Giro gave me, and I'm feeling good, but I lost some time during the second day in Belgium due to the crash."
This turns out to be a blessing in disguise. "If I was planning to get into the escapes beforehand, it was even clearer that I had to do it with that time gap. If the legs follow my feeling right now, I'll try again to be up-front," vows Mayoz to continue his quest for glory.
The break was started by Dimiti Champion, who was quickly joined by Mayoz, Nicolas Vogondy, Francis De Greef and Inaki Isasi. The maximum gap was only 3'50, but it was enough to last almost all the way to the finish.