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Letters to Cyclingnews - June 19, 2008
Here's your chance to get more involved with Cyclingnews. Comments and criticism on current stories, races, coverage and anything cycling related are welcomed, even pictures if you wish. Letters should be brief (less than 300 words), with the sender clearly identified. They may be edited for space and clarity; please stick to one topic per letter. We will normally include your name and place of residence, but not your email address unless you specify in the message.
Please email your correspondence to letters@cyclingnews.com.
ASO and the Vuelta
ASO's world domination
Ban Boonen?
Ban Boonen? Beware the inquisition
Boonen
Boonen vs. Petacchi
Boonen's Tour exclusion
Giro d'Italia
iPods while riding
Oval bars
Road rage incident
Tom Boonen exclusion from Tour de Suisse
ASO and the Vuelta
The ASO buys 49% of the Vuelta, enters into a deal with the Tour of California, and puts on their own events and sells/uses the TV rights for their own profit, but can't seem to find it in their hearts/wallets to pay Cedric Vasseur, et all, at the CPA?
Is this like the Olympics, where athletes, highly paid professionals and non paid amateurs alike get used to provide a spectacle for promoters of a mega dollars TV contract?
And once again the promoters get richer and the athletes get abused, and nothing seems to change.
Seems to me, it could change one of two ways. It could get stricter, like the NCAA and force everyone to become more corrupt/devious. Or it could become more equitable like the NFL and give everyone a piece of the TV pie, in a growing world market.
The ASO is obviously opting for the status quo, they like their pie. Greedy people and organizations will always take the myopic approach at the expense of the sport. Cycling is not in good hands.
Free us from the ASO, in my opinion, they don't have cycling's best interest at heart.
John Williams
Wofford Hts. CA, USA
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
ASO's world domination
It appears that Pat McQuaid’s belief that ASO are trying to supplant the UCI are well founded.
With ASO’s latest announcement that they have signed an agreement with AEG coming on the back of the purchase of a stake in Unipublic, they are quite clearly trying to gain control of world cycling and are going about it in a very aggressive manner. What happened to respecting the traditions of the sport and the genteel manner? This is just driven by power and greed.
ASO whinge and complain that the UCI are going beyond their role as a governing body, yet they behave in a hostile manner towards the governing body by gaining control over the majority of cycling races and then running them outside the control of UCI. These actions are doing more to tear apart the sport we all love than any doping scandal ever will.
You don’t see any football (soccer) tournament directors trying to replace FIFA. ASO’s self serving interests of profit have no place in the running the sport and should be stopped.
Simon Jones
Brisbane, Australia
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Ban Boonen?
Lighten up Mr. Hartigan! Ban Boonen from the Tour? Yeah, I kind of agree with that. But all humans make mistakes, well maybe not all judging by the tone of your letter, but Tom should be allowed to make amends, especially since this is his first screw up.
Ban Astana? What exactly has the current Astana team done wrong? This season!? Please give us some examples of why the current Astana team should be banned from races this year. We’re waiting...
If any team should be banned from the Tour it should be Rabobank, not Astana.
As for "zero tolerance for drug use in professional sports" ...well drugs are a social problem, embedded in society, we better try zero tolerance for all of us first,
Starting with alcohol.
Patrick Caselli
San Jose, CA, USA
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Ban Boonen? Beware the inquisition
Zero Tolerance, Yes. However, the administrating and organizing bodies of pro cycling do not, nor should they, have the right to make moral judgements outside the realm of the rules of the sport.
That jurisdiction lies within the courts of the given country. According to the UCI, it appears that Boonen has not broken any rule that would prevent him from competing. Patrick LeFevere's comments in regard to Boonen the cyclist, and Boonen the man, are the most cogent I've seen in print so far.
It is understandable that Christian Prudhomme wants the Tour to be beyond reproach. I would caution him to be judicious in the use of his power, lest he take on shades of The Grand Inquisitor.
There is zero tolerance within the rules, and then there is zero tolerance with ignorance. We would all do well to heed the difference.
Randy Paik
Santa Monica, CA, USA
Friday, June 13, 2008
Boonen
I get so frustrated with some of the correspondents on here, who cannot seem to distinguish between "drugs in sport", i.e. doping, and recreational drug use.
If the drug is not performance enhancing, then the argument is not about doping. Period. If he'd had a few beers or a cigarette after a race, would it be a concern? Is that doping? No, obviously not. Either is his cocaine use.
The regulatory body has made the determination that out of competition it's not a problem, so it's allowed (in their eyes). They don't make the law; they make the rules of cycling. Which he has not broken.
There is a valid argument to be made about the ramifications of using an illegal drug, bringing the sport into disrepute, tarnishing his sponsors, all those things. And this is the discussion that should be undertaken. If disciplinary action is to be taken, so be it. But talking about doping and comparing this somehow to Operation Puerto is infantile and reactionary. We can only hope that the regulatory bodies show a little more vision and impartiality.
It's pretty simple. I'm not saying he's done nothing wrong. I'm saying he hasn't doped.
Simon van der Aa
Australia
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Boonen vs. Petacchi
Some compare the treatment of Tom Boonen and his cocaine test with that of Alessandro and his salbutamol test. Okay, let's.
Cocaine doesn't have a positive effect on athletic performance (although it may have a safety component). Salbutamol enhances athletic performance.
Boonen was found to have misused a drug outside of competition. Petacchi was found to have misused a drug during competition.
And what evidence is there that the "extra puffs" were really taken after the stage and not during? Let's see, couldn't it have gone something like this... "Wow, I really don't have my legs today. I'll just take a couple extra puffs now, and pretend the extra puffs came afterward. Hey, I might even 'volunteer' my 'mistake' after the stage, and everyone will believe me because I volunteered it." But even if it happened exactly the way Petacchi described it, it was against the rules, and may have aided his overnight recovery.
Cocaine is illegal.
Salbutamol is legal.
So, our comparison tells us that while Boonen is a law-breaker, Petacchi is a cheat. If we perceive these as different types of offenses, with different effects on competitive cycling, then perhaps they should be publicized differently and analysed differently. But if a "bad guy" is a "bad guy" regardless of circumstances and effects, then surely our treatment of Boonen should mirror our treatment of Petacchi.
Gene Sanders
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Friday, June 13, 2008
Boonen's Tour exclusion
It is a tough one, for sure. On the one hand Tom Boonen was not in competition when he tested positive for cocaine. It is only natural that he is not penalised in an official capacity (by the UCI). But individual races do have a right and responsibility to defend the reputation of their event.
If the Tour de France allowed Boonen to race now what would they be saying to young men who idolize him and try to imitate everything he does on a bike? Hell, I am 29 years old and I like to pretend I could race up and down the Koppenburg like Tomeke... But lets face it, a naive 12 year-old boy may not have the wits to realise that blasting a rail of cocaine before riding a bicycle just might not be a great idea. I say that the Tour is spot on this time around.
Cory Thompson
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Giro d'Italia
To you all regarding Alberto Contador's Giro victory.
Do you have any idea of what kind of mental preparation needed for a three week race and how they make race plans leading up to the event?
Lance Armstrong is an exception when it comes to preparation to three week races, but try to put yourself in Alberto Contador place laying on the beach with your family all set for a family holiday, and all of a sudden you are being told that you are going to take part in the hardest Giro ever? To change your mindset and get ready for that in less than a week and go on to win is a fantastic achievement! And doing so with a fitness that was not even close to last years TDF victory tells you what kind of class act we have been treated to!
And when you say that he took advantage of the "others" and let them do the job it appears even clearer to me that cycling isn’t something you guys know much about!
And when he beats Ricco with 2 min. in the last time trial I don’t understand what makes Rico the real winner or anyone else for that matter? Are they real winners because they were able to win a stage and the lose 2 minutes on the next?
Have you forgotten what Contador did in last years TDF? If he had the same preparation to this Giro as he had to last years TDF he would have played with the others in the mountains.
Winning a 3 week race is about tactics, skills and a bit of luck. Contador had really bad luck when he had to ride the entire Fedia climb with a destroyed back wheel, but he was really "lucky" to see how Danilo Di Luca wasted his efforts/strength during the first week.
Contador is a real big champion and he will win a lot of Grand Tours over the next 5 years, whether you like it or not.
Torbjørn Flaten
Asker,Norway
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Giro d'Italia #2
This years instalment of the Giro proved without a shadow of a doubt that Alberto is the best rider in the world at this point in time. Even if he was given ample time to prepare for the race and have everything in place before the race he would still be in pink when all is said and done. He came to the race with one goal in mind and that was to win.
The winner of a tour such as the Giro or the Tour is the singular person with the fastest overall time. The sign of a great rider is when the rider shows control over his surroundings. If the rider knows he will continue to lead the race and possibly increase his lead there is no need for him to take the glory and honour of winning a stage away from a rider not close to the overall GC. Grand tours are founded on chivalry. A rider that in no way can contend for the overall win that busts his hump on a particular stage deserves to win that stage. For the race leader to sit on his wheel and than out sprint him in the final kilometres is completely unethical.
To say that Alberto is not the "true champion" could not be more wrong. He rode the most intelligent race and did not let emotion consume him. He managed to keep his composure throughout the race. Ricco became aggressive and angry and down right disrespectful as the Giro went on.
I understand that he was upset about being behind Alberto with only 4 seconds separating them. He should have conducted himself better and done what a true champion does, let your legs do the talking. The race of truth brings out the true champions and separates the men from the boys. It is the ultimate test of mental strength along with physical power. From what I saw Ricco rode like an angry boy and blew up, while Alberto rode like a composed champion and powered to a victory.
The Giro shows that to be champion there is one thing you need more than any other attribute, the will to win. To not win a stage but still defend his position along with a brilliant fight to keep the jersey when he lost it on the road, shows the confidence and mental discipline of Alberto. My hat goes off to Alberto on his Giro win. He is a true champion and he exhibits every aspect of a great cyclist. I am excited to see where he will lead the sport in the future.
Charles Mitchell
Sunday, June 15, 2008
iPods while riding
I would agree that more and more people are wearing iPod’s while riding. I am one of those. I ride on a regular basis in one of the worst states for cycling (cycling safety); South Carolina. I agree that some people should not be listening to music while riding due to the fact that their handling and awareness skills are shaky at best.
On the other hand, I feel music definitely helps me with training efforts and helps keep me focused. I usually ride with only one earpiece in, normally my right ear. I am able to hear oncoming traffic from the rear or communication from other riders. Personally I think iPods have their good side and bad while cycling depending on the rider, but the play list definitely helps keep the cadence up!!!
Lucas Erwin
Columbia, SC, USA
Friday, June 13, 2008
iPods while riding #2
Jim in Fort Wayne has made a very good point in his letter about riders listening to iPods on the road. I would like to expand on his point by asking riders to think about the difference between safety and protection. Protection on our bikes, which is an important consideration, is most often provided from helmets and gloves. These are "last line of defence" items meant to minimize damage after one has crashed.
Safety measures keep one off of the ground in the first place; eye wear, proper bike fit, brake adjustment, appropriate tire pressure and most importantly- bike handling basics. In this new age of carbon fibre forks and pre-built wheels, I wear a helmet most of the time.
A helmet even saved my life once when I crashed racing at the track. A helmet does not help to keep one safe however. Using both eyes, both ears, years of experience and pro-active defensive riding still is not enough to make one safe on the dangerous roads of the world - but it is better than using less!
It angers me to be given a safety lecture on the rare occasion that I choose not to wear my helmet. Comments most often come from a stranger with ear buds in, arms locked, clip-on aero bars mounted pedaling squares down the road like a snake on the shoulder! It is a sign of the times; an uncritical consumerist perspective of purchasing "safety" in the form of a Styrofoam hat.
Gary Westby
Menlo Park, CA, USA
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Oval bars
No, your eyes are not deceiving you; all Oval Concepts sponsored teams ARE riding 26.0mm "standard" sized bars and stems.
My personal (and therefore our company) philosophy is that "Oversized = Fatter, Heavier, Slower". There is no reason to add more weight or frontal area to your road bike and the Pros know it.
The Oversized 31.8mm "standard" is a bad Italian fashion developed when the Italians did not have the efficient butting and swedging technology to offer a safe, reasonably priced, 220 gram road bar. Now that everyone has high quality, reasonably price, triple butted alloy bars made in Asia, and good companies make good carbon fibre road bars in 26.0, O/S 31.8 should die - at least for road bikes.
The strange thing is that all our sponsored teams since the company was founded, including Silence-Lotto, Slipstream and even the old Liberty Seguros squad asked for 26.0. We make both sizes as the market right now demands both sizes but I did not ask nor demand that our teams use either size.
Big Magnus Backstedt is not afraid of breaking his Oval 26.0 bars and stems on his TT bike for the Tour or his road bike for Paris-Roubaix. Robbie McEwen demands bars that are super stiff for his incredible power sprints and he loves our R701 classic bend bars in 26.0. I repeat - there is no reason to add more weight or frontal area to your road bike and the Pros know it.
Thanks for the eagle eye.
Morgan Nicol
Oval Concepts, Switzerland
Friday, June 13, 2008
Road rage incident
Rob, I'll take a slightly different approach to the red light issue for a moment. Imagine this scenario: A red light, with a line of cars behind, and a cyclist next to the curb. A one lane road. Let's even put some parked cars across the other side of the intersection, which will force the cyclist into the lane of traffic once he/she crosses the intersection. No cars coming across the intersection from left or right. The 3 possibilities are:
1. Wait for the light to turn green, gun it across the intersection (most cyclists
can cross a small intersection before the cars can), and veer into the middle
of the lane to go around the parked cars, blocking progress of the line of cars
behind you.
2. Go through the red light, pass the parked cars, and get 0.5-1.0 km up the
road before the traffic catches up with you, by which time you're up to a good
cruising speed, out of the traffic lane and not impeding their progress, and
therefore not aggravating them as "another friggin' lycra-wearin' nancy-boy".
3. Wait for the light to turn green, wait for the line of cars to pass you,
then proceed across the intersection and on your merry way. But why should YOU
have to wait?
Another scenario: Cyclist moves to the middle of the road with a double line to make a turn into a side street (a left turn in the US, a right turn in Australia). A line of cars comes up behind the rider. There are no oncoming cars as far as the eye can see. The rider can:
1. Hold his/her ground - they have the right to be there to make the turn,
and screw the traffic behind them!
2. Cross the double line in the middle of the road and ride up the opposite
lane (i.e. against the non-existent oncoming traffic), thereby allowing traffic
to flow smoothly past him/her, while he/she makes the turn into the side street.
Not all of these options are legal. However, some of the illegal ones improve traffic flow and show an awareness of the impediment to cars that a bike often imposes and try to minimize the impact and are just common sense. I know what I would be doing.
Mark Rishniw
Ithaca NY, USA
Friday, June 13, 2008
Tom Boonen exclusion from Tour de Suisse
Whilst I do not for one second condone the recent actions of Tom Boonen, I was aghast when I saw the comments of the Tour de Suisse director Armin Meier.
If I am not mistaken this was one of the guys caught up in the original Festina affair. He is somebody I would expect to make more constructive comments. I am sure that there is no easy solution to the problems of chemical ingestion in our beautiful sport, but I am also sure that close minded comments by ex dopers do present a step forward but a step backward. We need to rehabilitate errant cyclists, not send them to their rooms.
"We want to make a point and emphasise that we will not put up with any rider who behaves that way." - Tour de Suisse Director Armin Meier offers criticism of Boonen's behaviour
Robert J Plank
Friday, June 13, 2008
Tom Boonen exclusion from Tour de Suisse #2
I have to laugh at the letters written (Tom's Nose and Exclusion for the Tour of Suisse) that state that Tom Boonen has earned the right to take cocaine and that many moral and upstanding people of his age partake in illicit drug use and that it's somehow okay to do so. What idiocy!
The bottom line is that cocaine is illegal to possess, to use and to sell or buy. For very good reasons. I wonder if these letter writers have ever seen the damage that cocaine use can do to individuals, families, communities and to society at large. Cocaine is a dangerous drug and a person can die the first time they use it.
A little too much of a "hot load", a little problem with the heart... You just never know, do you? And I haven't even addressed the subject of addiction!
Tom Boonen's sponsors and employers pay him very large sums of money to race bikes. He knows all the rules regarding all drug use as dictated by sporting authorities. He knows the laws as dictated by Belgian law, and yet he still does the wrong thing. He's tested all the time and any time like all the pros. What on earth was he thinking?
Yes, he's human like all of us and we all mistakes. But, I do think Tom Boonen is pro cycling's latest candidate for the starring role of the new "Dumb, Dumber, and now Dumbest" film! As for the two writers of those two (Tom's Nose and Exclusion from the Tour of Suisse) letters...well, they'd be my top picks for the supporting roles.
Brian,
California, USA
Monday, June 16, 2008
Recent letters pages
Letters 2008
- June 19: ASO and the Vuelta, ASO's world domination, Ban Boonen?, Ban Boonen? Beware the inquisition, Boonen, Boonen vs. Petacchi, Boonen's Tour exclusion, Giro d'Italia, iPods while riding, Oval bars, Road rage incident, Tom Boonen exclusion from Tour de Suisse
- June 13: Tom Boonen and his nose, Apologies from Montreal, Chantal's Philly win, Gilberto Simoni, Boring first week of Grand Tours?, Giro d'Italia, iPods while riding, ASO and the Vuelta, Road rage incident, Astana chain choice
- June 5: Apologies from Montreal, Astana chain choice, Bennati and race radios, Race radio?, Gilberto Simoni, Giro winner, Good result in road rage court case, Helmets in the Giro, Lemond vs. Armstrong, Millar, No, no, you can't take that away from them, Oval bars, Review error, Ricardo Ricco, Road rage incident
- May 29: Bennati and race radios, Helmets in the Giro, Review error, LeMond vs. Armstrong, Losing something in the translation, Millar, Petacchi, Race radio?, Road rage incident, Weight work on the bike
- May 23: Road rage incident, How much will it take?, Paralysed cyclist, Fausto Exparza, David Millar, Basso gets a contract, Weight work, CAS and Petacchi, Shortest TdF, Petacchi & Piepoli
- May 15: Sydney road rage incident, Steegmans lashes out at UCI, Steve Hogg's article, World Cup #3 XC, Where is Chris Horner, Slipstream, Astana and Le Tour, Giro stage 5!, US time trial Champion?, Basso gets a contract, Race radios, CAS ruling on Petacchi, Hamilton's integrity? Dude!, Weight work
- May 8: Race radio?, Ridiculous ruling, What a farce!, CAS ruling on Petacchi, Basso gets a contract, Hamilton's integrity? Dude!, French riders had to give up their jerseys?,
- May 1: Race radio?, Basso gets a contract, Advise needed for Alpe D'Huez, LeMond vs. Armstrong, Bottles, Scars of war, ProTour in Russia! China? Ahem... America?, LeMond's 1989 TdF, Mayo?, Stuart O'Grady Team CSC Cervélo R3 Paris, Have any French riders had to give up their jerseys?
- April 25: Just shut up and ride, ProTour in Russia! China? Ahem...America?, Bottles, LeMond's 1989 TdF, New format for the Vuelta? , Scars of war, LeMond v. Armstrong, No tour for Astana #1, Rock Racing rip off #1, Advise needed for Alpe D'Huez, Stuart O'Grady Team CSC Cervélo R3 Paris
- April 18: Just shut up and ride, USA Track Cycling, Paris-Roubaix, Little Indy 500 - Women's Race Article, Stuart O'Grady Team CSC Cervélo R3 Paris-Roubaix, What's happening to road tubeless?, Thanks Cyclingnews, Bottles, Just think?, Tour of Georgia - Lame, Colavita, No tour for Astana, Clever tactics by McQuaid expose ASO, Suggestions for the little bullies, Rock Racing rip off, LeMond Vs. Trek
- April 10: Suggestions for the little bullies, Pat McQuaid, Clever tactics by McQuaid expose ASO, Just think, Trek vs. LeMond, Rock Racing rip off, Homepage overhaul, Some praise, USA track cycling, Team car order just the first gamble, Come on Greg & Lance, LeMond vs. Armstrong
- April 3: Pat McQuaid, April fools, Carbon Wrap-It System, Sylvain Chavanel, Astana vs. Rabobank vs. Slipstream Chipotle, Cadel Evans, Clever tactics by McQuaid expose ASO, Colavita, Let VDB ride?, Race radios, Rock Racing rip off
- March 27: Riccardo's manner of professionalism, Rock Racing rip off, Chavanel's Paris - Nice shoes, Cadel Evans, Cadel Evans at Paris - Nice, Let VDB ride?, ASO vs. Astana, ASO vs. UCI help me with my memory, Astana vs. Rabobank vs. Slipstream Chipotle, Police kill cyclists,"PRO"cycling teams
- March 20:"Pro"Cycling Teams, AIGCP does have a choice, ASO vs UCI help me with my memory, ASO vs. Astana, Chavanel's Paris - Nice shoes, Kevin van Impe's doping control, Cadel Evans at Paris - Nice, Hamilton, Operacion Puerto, and the ToCA, Paris - Nice: What it could have been, Police kill cyclists, The Astana affair, UCI hypocrisy
- March 13:"Pro"Cycling Teams, ASO vs. Astana, ASO vs. UCI, ASOh well, UCI'll see you later, Cycling fans must let their voices be heard, Denounce ASO's actions for what they are, Hamilton, Operacion Puerto, and the ToCA, Knife between the ribs?, Paris Nice, Police kill cyclists, British track sprinters' helmets?, Rock Racing and Michael Ball, The Astana affair, The real ASO problem, Tour and ASO, UCI - very bad poker players, UCI hypocrisy.
- March 6: Zirbel and the"ride of his life", British track sprinters' helmets, Hamilton, Operacion Puerto and the ToCA, Three grand tours or five monuments?, Rock Racing and Michael Ball, Pro cycling is dead, Paris - Nice, Knife between the ribs?, Doping and the Tour, Astana, the ASO and the UCI, ASO vs. Astana, The Astana affair, ASO vs. UCI vs. AIGCP vs. the non existent riders, The real ASO problem, Denounce ASO's actions for what they are, Sponsorship code of ethics, Where are the other ProTour teams?, ProTour vs. ASO
- February 28: ASO vs. Astana, Passion and sponsorship, Crash or crash through, Pro cycling is dead, Why we must have the ProTour, Rock Racing and Michael Ball, ToC and Rock, The hidden message behind banning Astana, ASO is killing cycling, ASO could be right, The real ASO problem, UCI - draw a line in the sand, ASO has lost the plot, The Astana affair, Astana and ASO/RCS, the Astana decision, Operacion Puerto, Old rider classification
- February 15: Doping controls, Tour of California moving up!, Why I love the Tour of California, Operation Puerto, Astana rejected by ASO, Boycott ASO, ASO - stop the madness, Tour de France, ASO is wrong to exclude Astana, Astana, ASO, and the NFL, Tour de Farce, The hidden message behind banning Astana, Astana exclusion, ASO is killing cycling, Astana out of Tour, ASO has lost the plot
- February 8: Lampre doping controls, Grand Tour Monopoly?, Giro selections, Slipstream Qatar, Allan Davis, Sheldon Brown, Dick Pound to head CAS?, Find out who's leaking lab results, Rock racing
- February 1: UCI vs. Grand Tour war, Best wishes to Anna, The incident, Rock racing & Starbucks, Rock racing Rocks, Rock racing, Landis in NUE, Lance is the best of all time, Sinkewitz logic, Astana for 08 Tour?
- January 25: Rock racing, Time to draw a line in the sand, ASO vs. UCI ProTour, UCI vs. Grand Tour war spills over to European federations, Readers' poll stage races 2007, Cyclist of the year, Team High Road's black kit, Lance is the best of all time, Landis in NUE, Toyota-United abusing USAC team rules?
- January 18: Cadel Evans - returns to training, Cyclist of the Year, DOPING - time to draw a line in the sand, Hincapie in T-Mobile kit, Lance is the best of all time, Readers poll: best stage races 2007, Rock racing, Speaking about Lance, Toyota-United abusing USAC team rules?
- January 11: Armstrong on Landis, Cadel Evans - returns to training, Hincapie in T-Mobile kit, Ivan Basso - why no tough questions?, Reader Poll, Rock & burn racing, Speaking about Lance, Sydor's consistency, The 'Bruyneel philosophy', Toyota-United abusing USAC team rules?
- January 5: Great day for cycling, Sydor's consistency, Hincapie in T-Mobile kit, CA awards misses national series, Thank you, Ivan Basso - why no tough questions?, Cadel Evans - returns to training, Helmets belong on heads, Armstrong on Landis, Will there be a Tour of Missouri?, Roberto Heras, Speaking about Lance, Mayo's B Sample
Letters 2007
- December 27: CA awards misses national series, Armstrong on Landis, Vinokourov's sentence, Vinokourov, Cadel Evans - returns to training, Mayo's B sample to get B test
- December 14: Sydor's consistency, George Hincapie, Helmet straps must be cinched a bit too tight, Will there soon be a sample"C"test?, ProTour, Vino's joke of a suspension, Mafioso McQuaid, Obee and Health Net, Mayo's B sample to get B test, Campagnolo offers its own 'red' shifter, T-Mobile's withdrawal a blow to Jaksche
- December 6: Tschüss T-Mobile, Anquetil, Mayo's B sample to get B test, T-Mobile drop out, Obee and Health Net, Stefano Zanini
- November 30: Anquetil,Mayo's B sample to get B test, Stefano Zanini, Rider's passport, Betting, Jonathan Page, Wake up!!, T-Mobile drop out, Bike design originality
- November 23: Remembering Jacques Anquetil, Done looking back, Mayo's B sample to get B test, Cross crank, Rider's passport, Blood passports and humanity, Fothen's comments on Bettini, Nathan O'Neill , Sinkewitz, Rasmussen blood values, Sponsorship strangeness, Dick Pound better understood, Bike design originality,
- November 16: Nathan O'Neill, Rasmussen blood values, The Crocodile Trophy, Sinkewitz, Drug testing procedures, Rider's passport, The drug issue, Bike design originality , Sponsorship strangeness, Selfishness will ruin cycling
- November 9: The Crocodile Trophy, A little bit of bias here?, Rider's passport, Kasheckin, Positive tests, Drug testing procedures, Marco Pinotti: Engineering a new path, Bike design originality
- November 2: What does this mean?, Le Tour 08, Mayo's B sample, Bike design originality, Trimble, UCI says Mayo case not closed, Drug testing procedures ... and false positives, Kashechkin: controls violate human rights, Drug testing procedures, Mayo, UCI, Kashechkin, et al... Great, now it's coming from both ends, Positive tests, Why even bother with B samples then?, Mayo's positive EPO test, Falling barriers
- October 26: Rider passports & Cadel Evans, Drug testing procedures ... and false positives, Iban Mayo's false positive, Iban Mayo and Landis, Armstrong on Landis, Mayo's B sample, UCI turns Mayo's case into a debaucle, Great...now they hand pick the results, No justice for Mayo, UCI says Mayo case not closed, Bike design originality, 2006 Tour de France, A bad week for cycling, A fitting end to the season
- October 19: 2006 Grand Tour trifecta!, 2006 Tour de France, A fitting end to the season, Armstrong on Landis, Bike design originality, doping in cycling, Doping numbers, Paris-Tours testing mishap, UCI and the lack of testing!, Vino's other Tour stage win, The absolute best?
- October 12: Armstrong on Landis, Bike design originality, Cycling drama, Doping is unfair; but so is discrimination, It’s not doping that's..., Landis case - everyone's a loser, Length and cost of the Landis case, R & R, The Landis decision, Tour of America
- October 5: Cycle drama, It's not doping that's"killing"the sport, Why is VAM a benchmark, Tour of America, The Landis decision, DYNEPO, Worlds, Rock & Republic's CEO Michael Ball, Please explain, Giuseppe Guerini, FICP
- September 28: Tour of America, World champion zany-ness, The Landis decision, ASO v UCI, McQuaid vs ASO vs the riders, Please explain, Why is VAM a benchmark, Giuseppe Guerini, Menchov felt betrayed by Rasmussen, ProTour and Le Tour, Where is the due process
- September 21: Astana's future and Bruyneel, Bruyneel's afterlife, Floyd Landis decision, Why is VAM a benchmark, Lifetime bans, Menchov felt betrayed by Rasmussen, Ungrateful Levi, Spanish cycling, Where is the due process
- September 14: Astana & Bruyneel, Cycling vs. soccer, Cycling will survive, Floyd Landis decision, LeMond's comments, Menchov felt betrayed by Rasmussen, Ungrateful Levi, Why is VAM a benchmark?
- September 7: Cycling vs. soccer, Floyd Landis decision, UCI, ASO, LeMond, et al who cares? Riders, Lawyers in the Landis case, LeMond's comments, Riders taking the fall?, US Postal/Discovery R.I.P.
