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Letters to Cyclingnews - November 21, 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.
Pevenage to Rock Racing
Pricey Bike Reviews
Bobby Julich column
David Walsh article
Merida release
Chasing Fabian
Gilmore in Colombia
Frank Vandenbroucke
Albert's Tour remarks
Stylin' calendar dudes
Vino returns to Astana
Keep up the good work...
THC suspension
The Museeuw MF-1
Why is Basso back?
Basso diary
Taking it seriously
Moral high-horse
Gerdemann vs Armstrong
Don't do it Lance
Pevenage to Rock Racing
Rudy Pevenage returns to racing as the director sportif of Rock Racing. Whatever you may think of Pevenage and his involvement in the often documented doping scandals of the 1990s up to the present, one cannot help but be intrigued by the prospect that where Rudy goes, quite possibly, Jan Ullrich may follow.
Don't get me wrong, I am a staunch supporter of clean and ethical sports, free from the specter of chemically enhanced athletes. I agree whole-heartedly with Greg LeMond and his running discourse on doping and how it has tarnished the sport of cycling.
However, that being said, I have a difficult time accepting the unfairness and arbitrary nature of sanctions and punishments meted out by governing bodies and stake holders responsible for preserving the sport. Why does one rider get nailed to the wall and another fade from view only to resurface a while later, arguably, just as unrepentant and invited to participate when and wherever he decides?
Let's be realistic. No one know for sure who was, and for that matter, who is clean and who is doping. Let's put it behind us and enjoy the spectacle that is professional cycling. I hope Jan does follow Rudy.I hope he can sort out his legal problems and eventually returns to professional cycling with Rock Racing. It is after all a very exciting team.
There are many riders currently in the professional peloton with more doping baggage less talent and fewer results than Ullrich. Ullrich has been out of cycling longer than most of them and paid a higher price - both figuratively and literally - than any of them.
It is time to turn the corner and put the past behind us. Just let him ride!
Miloman
Wednesday, November 19
Pricey bike reviews
I enjoy your new bike reviews but I have to wonder who buys these $6000 USD and more bikes? Readers (including racers) may be better served by more reviews of $1500-$2500 rigs, especially with the world economy as it is.
It's not hard to find a 16-17 lb. full carbon bike with Ultegra or better components for $2000 if you shop around - and that is all the bike most riders will ever need.
Jeff Schatz
Columbus, OH
USA
Tuesday, November 18
Bobby Julich column
Thanks for hiring Bobby Julich to write for you. He's clear-headed and real. I'll be reading.
Chris Mullington,
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
Thursday, November 20
David Walsh article
The main problem I have with this so-called doping controversy is the perception. In all honesty most of us really do not care if an athlete is doping or not. Now I do feel that the sport has every right to police there participants to ensure the most level playing field, but the idea that a percentage of athletes dopes is, in my view, bias and unfair to those participating in the sport.
I am a molecular biologist and as such if I conduct an experiment and expect to see a result then my research is biased. The same hold true for doping. If the perception is that 80 percent of riders are clean, then you automatically believe that if you test 100 samples you should see 20 be positive. The fact is that is not the case.
What is also interesting is the idea that in endurance athletes that doping can actually improve performance. First there is no scientific basis to say if that is true or not, second if it is true, is it long term or short term? If the results are short term then the cheaters would be easy to catch because of performance swings.
What everyone must remember is that our sport does not need people there to tear it down, such as Walsh, and those who are suspected of cheating need to be allowed to go through the litigation process before they are called cheaters or dopers (or in the case of Lance actually test positive once). If those individuals are actually found innocent then those reporting have the ability to destroy the credibility of an innocent person.
Larry Nelson
Wednesday, November 12
David Walsh article
May I voice my agreement with Chuck Barth re: David Walsh. Mr. Walsh is one of the best sports journalists writing today, and I do hope that CN will commission more informative articles from him.
Bari Hooper
Friday, November 14
Merida release
I was surprise to see the Scott Spark being released as the new 96 Team D bike from Merida. They did do a very good job changing out the logos, I don't know why I'm surprised though - I should have expected another superlight dual suspension bike whose design has been compromised to keep the weight down. I've got a better solution for winning races - stop whining and start riding your bike.
Mark Visser
Ontario, Canada
Wednesday, November 12
Chasing Fabian
It's unfortunate that today's clean riders have to pay for the transgressions of riders mired in the previous cycling culture. We are learning that it is possible, with proper training, teamwork, nutrition, recovery and focus that it is possible to compete at the highest levels.
Doping interrupts consistency. One only needs to look at the steady levels of performance of Fabian Cancellara throughout the last few seasons to see that he's the real deal. That, and the fact that Bjarne Riis has hired the best anti-doping doctor in sport.
There are many ways to excel without cheating, just look at the performances of Christian Vande Velde, Carlos Sastre, Mark Cavendish - all generally considered clean riders in the professional ranks. Don't give up on cycling, it's way cleaner than other sports.
Chris Mullington,
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
Wednesday, November 12
Gilmore in Colombia
I apologize for the lack of timeliness on this subject, but I was disheartened to read what happened to Rochelle Gilmore at the Gran Caracol de Pista in Medellin, Colombia. I can't speak for the current conditions in Medellin, but I competed in the 1985, '86 and '92 versions with Tony Doyle, Hans Oersted, Francesco Moser, Viatcheslav Ekimov, Dean Woods, Shaun Wallace, and Paul Swadling among others. I also competed in Colombia numerous other times including the track World Cup in 1996 and the 1991 Vuelta de la Costa.
I will not refute what happened to Ms. Gilmore and the others, but wish to express that what they experienced was indisputably a very frightening and disturbing situation, but one that was not been not apparent in my experiences. Again, I am not denying what happened to her and the others, just trying to express that I have had many good racing experiences in Colombia and that South America in general offers many great racing and cultural experiences.
Carl Sundquist
Friday, November 14
Frank Vandenbroucke
How is it that dozens of good, clean riders are desperate to get a team for next season yet a proven drug taker who has failed to finish a season for the last number of years once again looks like signing a contract? Have team managers taken leave of their senses?
Chris Whiley
Saturday, November 15
Albert's Tour remarks
Niels Albert said the Tour de France could not be won without doping. So if nobody doped, then nobody would win?
The logic of this Niels Albert is in question!
Jack Money
Oregon,
USA
Saturday, November 15
Stylin' calendar dudes
Do I wonder what elite mountain bike women look like under the mud and glasses? No, because there are plenty of pictures of them. Do I wonder what they look like under their jerseys? No, I don't. Maybe guys or even some other women do, but is this the one thing you're trying to tempt all the readers out there with for your mountain bike contest? I don't even wonder what the guys look like under their jerseys.
Maybe in Europe the back rooms of what are typically male haunts aren't papered with old calendars of women with almost everything off, holding tire irons in unnatural positions that are really pretty funny. Maybe its because the Cyclingnews arena is so filled with European sensibilities and Europe being the origin of such historic fine art, it's coming from a much different agenda.
Here in the good ol' USA, a calendar like that speaks to me of basically just bike porn. Which, again, whatever...but I know what a woman's chest looks like, chiseled lads, I've seen buff legs, I'm sure these women are beautiful under their jerseys and shorts. But for those of us who really don't care, can't you add a nice bike pump or something that we can use for, most of the time anyway, pumping up our tires after we shred through some gorgeous single-track?
Karen Peterson
New York, NY
USA
Sunday, November 16
Vino returns to Astana
What on earth is Astana management thinking? Inviting Alexandre Vinokourov, who has been otherwise completely unrepentant regarding his doping offenses, is basically a guarantee that Amaury Sport Organisation will not invite Astana to the 2009 Tour de France.
If Alberto Contador had any other reasons to be disgruntled (even if Lance Armstrong rides the Giro d'Italia, I'm not convinced that he wouldn't voluntarily not rider the Tour, or work as a domestique for Contador), he certainly has cause for an even bigger gripe with management. ASO might not invite Astana based upon the presence of Armstrong alone. Adding Vinokourov to the mix will likely guarantee a non-invite.
He may be basically screwed out of another chance at the Tour, again through no fault of his own.
Ray Chen
Orange County, CA
USA
Thursday, November 13
Keep up the good work...
The thought occurred to me the other day that I had stopped subscribing to bike magazines (but still get any free catalogs) as I either outgrew them or could not justify the annual fees when the cover boys have been exposed one by one (except for a few of course). Through it all though, over as I long as I can remember at my advanced age, around 10 years I guess, I have checked the daily news on Cyclingnews, even off-season, and skimmed the headlines if I missed a few days. The tech galleries are also a must click.
Keep up the good work as it would appear to at least me, that your site is at the core of the sport. I recently picked up your new gear guide and enjoyed the addition to my catalog stack (a rare exception to my no mags rule).
Tim Connery
Exton, PA
USA
Thursday, November 13
THC suspension
The article about USADA's testing statistics listed Steven Cisar, a BMX rider, as serving a three month ban for THC (marijuana). This seems a bit silly, seeing that marijuana has no performance enhancing abilities whatsoever.
Even in Boonen's case, we know at least that cocaine is a stimulant (when used in races). I understand that the drug is illegal, but doesn't doping infer some kind of cheating? Does the anti-doping agency know something the rest of us don't or are they just doing their American duty to fight the war on drugs?
Cisar wrote an open letter admitting his fault, and taking the punishment, let's just be happy he isn't talking to his lawyer about making a "comeback" after one month and not three.
Shane Farrell
New Jersey,
USA
Monday, November 17
The Museeuw MF-1
So, if I buy this bike, do I get erythropoietin like he did? I cannot believe that a doper like him has the balls to have a bike line. Might as well have Tyler Hamilton, Floyd Landis or Ricardo Ricco bikes out there.
What a sham.
Mike Parrish
Lafayette, CO
USA
Tuesday, November 18
Why is Basso back?
How is it that Ivan Basso gets to ride for a Pro Tour team after only a two year suspension? I thought that rides got two year suspension got an extra two years from riding for ProTour teams? So shouldn't Ivan really be back to the ProTour in 2011 not 2009?
Ivan has never actually admitted fully and hasn't helped the cause by naming, names etc. so how is this possible?
Terrence Martineau,
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
Sunday, November 16
Basso diary
It is amazing how many people have written in that have never lied and never made a mistake. How much guts would it take to return to the volatile pack after letting all your team and fans down? Don't you think that he will be punished enough by his fellow riders?
Basso was my idol when I first started cycling, I was hurt and some what deterred from getting back on my bike. I got through it and I can forgive the mistakes he has made, so why cant everyone else?
Let Ivan prove him self. There isn't a perfect person on this earth.
Sam Willsmore
Adelaide, SA
Australia
Thursday, November 13
Basso diary
Why do we have a Basso diary? We should not have diaries from riders who have doped, or in Bassos case "was thinking about it". What message does this give to young riders? Not good, Cyclingnews.
Terry Paterson
Thursday, November 13
Basso diary
Several readers (or now former readers?) have complained that Basso's disgrace to the sport is unforgiveable and that Cyclingnews is "tabloid' journalism due to running his diary at the expense of more deserving riders. Fine, you are free to make your choice. Punish yourself by not utilising the great resource for a wide variety of cycling related info.
As I see it, CN is free to publish whichever rider's diary they choose, any sponsor's adverts they choose, or cover any event as they choose. I don't particularly care for cyclo-cross, MTB tech news, who won the local Sunday road race in Ireland (or many other lands), nor do I read most riders' diaries. Rory Sutherland's is pretty good if infrequent, and I miss Scott Sunderland's updates. But the beauty of it all is that I get to choose what I read and what I ignore.
Unlike secondhand smoke, I am unaffected by the headlines or stories or tech news that I don't want to read. Sometimes I am just bored enough to read something I would usually skip over, and find some interesting tidbits or some unique perspectives, and sometimes my dislikes or disinterest are confirmed.
Is any of it detrimental to my health, well being, peace of mind, personal convictions? Should I accept everything written on this or any other website as 100 percent accurate, or esteem reporters as infallible or exempt from conveying their opinions? I have not felt or measured any decrease in my health or well being, even if I did not agree with an opinion, or found an article to be poorly written or grammatically incorrect (and the letters section is usually rife with those problems).
So I will continue to read Cyclingnews, skip most of the cyclo-cross news, ignore DH results and MTB tech, and pick and choose the things I want to read regardless of what else CN decides to cover or not cover. I suppose that the majority of readers will do the same, despite their likely distaste for doping scandals, federation squabbles, lost sponsors, or any other potentially disappointing news. To those who choose to remove CN from their favorites/bookmarks or forsake reading from possibly the best cycling resource in English: Well I guess I don't need to waste my keystrokes on you since you wouldn't see my remarks anyway.
Thanks, Cyclingnews, for your continued excellent live coverage, trade show and NAHMB coverage, track, road, XC, STXC, DH, CX, and other racing news, tech, locals, fitness and training, rider diaries, rider features, readers' letters, and any and all other cycling related info you care to publish. I may or may not read it all, or even most of it, but I am grateful that it's there for me to enjoy or not as I see fit, and I would dare venture that the majority of the readership feels about the same.
Dave Hunt
St. George, UT
USA
Thursday, November 13
Basso diary
Why the fuss? Who reads every single entry in every single Cyclingnews diary, and every single article on every different topic, anyway? Aren't we readers capable of determining which links we clink on, and which screens we read through to the very end? Why should we be bothered if other readers make different choices than we do?
Basso paid his penalty, and if he comes clean in one of his first few diary entries, I'll keep reading. Otherwise, I'll continue to cheer against him, and stop reading anything he has to say. But each reader is capable of making those choices for themselves.
CN, whose income depends upon how many people see the ads on their web pages, will have statistics on how few or how many people choose to follow whatever Basso has to say. In other words, vote with your mouse, by clicking on the pages you want to continue to see, and clicking on the ads on those same pages. And vote by not clicking (boycotting) those links you don't like.
But why fuss? Enjoy freedom of choice, and let the market work.
Gene Sanders
Pittsburgh, PA
USA
Thursday, November 13
Basso diary
'Will he end up like David Millar; a decent mid-pack rider but unable to deliver world-class goods without the juice?'
What an excellent way of putting it - I am sure that if Millar reads this web site he will be crying over his weet-bix !!!!
Kevin Warham
Australia
Friday, November 14
Basso diary
How is being banned getting away with it? Sure the bans should be longer etc. but under the current system he has served his time.
You aren't his judge or jury, so get over yourself, and take your place as a spectator.
Mark Harrison
Friday, November 14
Basso diary
What's with all the negative letters about Ivan Basso's diary! Come on people, it is just about cycling. In society even criminals get a second chance! Also, don't be more catholic than the pope is.
By the way: dope doesn't make champions...dedication, motivation, and hard, hard training will!
Cyclingnews just be happy to have a great champion on your website.
Jan
Holland
Friday, November 14
Basso diary
Okay so Cyclingnews has signed Ivan Basso to write his diary. Why not? Can't he comment on the racing and training that he does? The life of a man coming back into the professional peloton?
Think of it like this. It's just like watching the TV, if there is something you don't want to see turn it off and instead jump on your bike.
John Walker
Saturday, November 15
Basso diary
I can only echo the comments made by Philip Wyllie, Will Melling and others against Ivan Basso being asked to write a diary for Cyclingnews. The sport is in a crisis with regard to doping and asking a unrepentant doper to post bland platitudes about his training is a regressive step.
It's time Cyclingnews took a stance and stopped its fawning coverage of those who are ruining the sport.
Andrew Powers
London,
United Kingdom
Wednesday, November 19
Basso diary
Count me in among the many who find your giving Basso a voice on your site distasteful. Though as it's been mentioned he never failed any dope tests, his story was clearly absurd and an insult to the intelligence of cycling fans everywhere.
I'm all for allowing those who admit their mistakes and take responsibility for their actions to be given a second chance but Basso, as Tyler Hamilton and Floyd Landis before him, refuse to do that. Sure, once their suspensions are up we shouldn't keep them from racing again, but we as fans can certainly show them the same lack of respect they've shown us simply by not supporting them in any way.
I won't stop visiting cyclingnews.com but I will ignore his diary and certainly am disappointed in it's publishing on an otherwise great web site.
Andrew Averna
New York, NY
USA
Thursday, November 13
Taking it seriously
I just wish to clarify Eric Filippino's light-hearted take on the doping stance. He is right that we shouldn't put cyclists or indeed any other person unnecessarily on a pedestal, however, he is forgetting the fact that sport rewards winners with nice win bonuses, fat sponsorship deals and generous salaries over long contracts. Surely Eric can understand that it is simply a little inequitable to see clean riders fail to obtain contracts because they chose to maintain some dignity by not doping and thereby be less successful, to see dopers claim the plaudits for races they didn't win, to see dopers allowed back into the sport and thus take the place of a clean rider on a team, to see convicted dopers not have to return any of the money they fraudulently earned as cycling heroes.
So, I think Eric is wrong to say that spectators haven't a financial stake in these riders … sponsors wouldn't support cycling unless they could earn revenues from us the fans. If we weren't there to watch it, buy the product the doper is advertising, then they wouldn't be investing in cycling. So ultimately the emotionally invested fan pays the wages and the more fans there are supporting a rider, a team or a race, then the bigger the commercial interest. Anybody who has even the faintest understanding of marketing knows that all the press coverage from column inches and photographs of widely read magazines and newspapers is quantifiable in monetary terms. So, of course the cyclist knows his worth to the fan when negotiating a contract.
Maybe I'm taking it a little seriously, but on a simple level, until I see some mechanism for doping frauds to return the vast sums of wealth they have earned on the back of my interest in their performances, then I feel entitled to be a little bitter. On a moral level, if Eric knew clean riders who have been unable to make their way in this sport, despite their obvious class, due to the fact that they chose not to be part of the professional doping set-up then he might also feel a little disappointed by the whole issue.
So I would argue; that the day we stop taking injustices in this world seriously is in fact very serious.
Mark Gill
Dublin,
Ireland
Thursday, November 13
Taking it seriously
Do you have children? If you had a young son or daughter that was interested in the sport of cycling and all they were seeing was doping scandals about their favorite rider or team, maybe you would have a different opinion. These riders are roll models for our young, up and coming riders and it's a tragic display of professionalism.
Michael Jennings
Atlanta, Georgia
USA
Tuesday, November 18
Taking it seriously
Sorry Eric, i believe you've missed the point entirely. The very heart, soul and mind of cycling is bound up with the mortal human watching the amazing feats of a tour rider on the steepest grades day after day.
We cheer them and are glued to our TV because we know they perform at a level we could never achieve. Our passion is entirely bound up with the athletic feats these guys are capable of.
When they dope, they rob the spectator of the very thing that drew us to the sport... an awe-struck appreciation of their talent and hard work. Of course we get worked up.
I don't want to watch cheats performing at a doped level. I want to watch athletes performing at a level befitting of their talent and hard work such that the most talented and most committed wins, not the most secretive and dope-enhanced!
Scott Hazelton
Australia
Thursday, November 20
Moral high-horse
I'm so sick and tired of the moralistic sermonizing coming from many readers comments regarding doping and sport (cycling) and the athletes (riders) who practice it. Not that I condone doping, I'm just a realist and I don't like naive puritanism.
Big money and fame attracts looking to gain an edge, whether it be in against the rules speculating for hyper-inflated profit margins at the world financial markets or other colossal business deals, or taking scientifically advanced drugs to improve performance. Welcome to the world we live in.
Ethics? Wishful thinking friends. When in the history of civilization has the intersection between power, wealth and fame lead to anything ethical? Am I a cynic? Yes, and proud to be one.
In this light, the comments denouncing Basso while praising Armstrong's return result either from a form of critical psychosis or else are the fruit of vapid ideology.
Rob Huber
Rome,
Italy
Thursday, November 13
Gerdemann vs Armstrong
Lance will never be a politician? Your dead right. Pllies talk s**t, lie and never deliver. I'd say Lance has already delivered, seven times at the last count.
Here's hoping he never does become one... what a step down.
Mark Harrison
Friday, November 14
Don't do it Lance
At the risk of writing yet another letter regarding Lance Armstrong and having it chucked into the circular file, I wish to suggest he do the following. Are you reading this, Lance?
He ought to enter both the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a Espana and forget about the Tour de France. He's already won the thing seven times (in a row, mind you) and by not entering the Tour, would give much-deserved relief to Alberto Contador.
Obviously, Alberto is the future of Astana's Grand Tour hopes, so one would have to be pretty darned dense to discourage his ambitions. Lance also has a chance to join a very elite club, one Alberto is a member of, those who have won all three Grand Tours.
This regimen would allow Lance to race Spring Classics and even enter the UCI World Road Championships again. Wouldn't it be wonderful to see him on the line at the world's in both the road race and the time trial?
If he goes for the Tour, that won't be part of the equation whatsoever. So, Lance, let's see you on the line for the bookmark tours and the world's and let all the rest be gravy.
Scott Phoenix
Sunday, November 16
Recent letters pages
Letters 2008
- November 13: Taking it seriously, Basso's diary, David Walsh article, Gerdemann vs Armstrong, Boonen, Armstrong and Gerdemann, Germans pull the plug, Lifetime bans, Chasing Fabian
- November 6: Boonen, Armstrong and Gerdemann, Doping, Germans pull the plug, Lifetime bans, UCI bans skinsuits
- October 30: Germans pull the plug, Doping, Kohl, Lifetime bans, UCI bans skinsuits, 2009 TdF parcours, LeMond's power test
- October 24: Doping, McQuaid's approach, Re-testing samples, Chris Horner, Germans pull the plug, Basso and Liquigas, Does doping work?, Lifetime bans, LeMond's power test, Rashaan Bahati
- October 17: Attitude to cheats, Doping, Lifetime bans, Solutions to doping problems, LeMond's power test, Rahsaan Bahati
- October 10: Enough is enough, Thomas Bach's comments, Recent positives, Riccò confesses to using EPO, Baden Cooke's comment, Holczer to sue Schumacher, Life bans for doping, Advice to Contador, My own comeback, Better Borat than Vinokourov, Lance has a Michael Jordan complex, Armstrong's busted former teammates, Astana, Lance vs Basso, Say it ain't so, Frank!, Leipheimer's best Grand Tour
- October 3: Another Armstrong Special: There comes a time, Guilty by association, Lance Armstrong returning, Armstrong comeback, Armstrong should be applauded, Lance is back, Armstrong and Astana, Mr Armstrong and SRAM, The resurrection of Lance, Armstrong's return
- September 25: The Armstrong Special: Armstrong obligations, Armstrong comeback, Armstrong riding for Astana, Armstrong's return, Guilty by association, Lance Armstrong and Taylor Phinney, The resurrection of Lance
- September 18: Armstrong come back, All round classification, Madiot's need to explain himself, Does doping work?, Exciting racing!, Contador and the Vuelta, Lance on Astana?, Say it isn’t So Lance!, ARD not looking forward to Armstrong return, Guilty by association, Garzelli, Scott Spark project bike
- September 12: Does doping work?, Scott Spark ultralight bike, Cadel stays with Silence-Lotto?, Vuelta, Giro, Tour triple, All round classification, Editorialising / opinion within articles, Do it twice or until you get it right, Olympic mountain biking, Say it isn't so Lance!, Armstrong come back, BMX....That's all?
- September 4: BMX....That's all?, Olympic mountain biking, Cadel stays with Silence-Lotto?, Head tube logos at Olympic Games, Fabio Baldato's premature retirement, Does doping work?, Cadel Evans and the Beige Jersey, Team Australia helmets, British track team's Olympic Games medals Pro cycling sponsorship
- August 29: BMX, Carlos Sastre, NRC Calendar, U-23 Championship road race fiasco, Therapeutic use exemptions - please explain, Phil Liggett encounter, John Fahey and Jacques Rogge on doping, Aussie Allan Davis?, Pro cycling sponsorship
- August 28: US cyclists and masks, Cadel, Cadel Evans and the Beige jersey, Levi Leipheimer’s Bike, Doping, Team Australia helmets, Lance and the doping debate, British Olympic track medals, BMX....That's all?
- August 22: Spanish federation questions Leipheimer's bronze, Hushovd's Look, Cadel's Injury, NRC Calendar, Phil Liggett encounter, British Olympic track medals, Therapeutic Use Exemptions - please explain, Truvativ HammerSchmidt, Carlos Sastre, Cadel Evans and the Beige Jersey
- August 21: Levi Leipheimers Bike, John Fahey and Jacques Rogge on doping, Cycling out of the Olympics, Team Australia helmets, Scott-American Beef excluded from Vuelta, Doping & money, U-23 National Championship RR fiasco, US Cyclists and masks, World Road race championships national quotas
- August 19: Therapeutic Use Exemptions - please explain, Carlos Sastre, Riccò confesses to using EPO, Lance and the doping debate, Cadel Evans and the Beige Jersey, Bring back bonus seconds to liven le Tour, Crank Length formula, Thank you, Confused
- August 14: Cycling out of the Olympics, U-23 Championship Road Race Fiasco, Phil Liggett encounter, WADA chief John Fahey, Moreno, John Fahey and Jacques Rogge on doping, Beijing Road Race, World Road race championships national quotas, Scott-American Beef excluded from Vuelta, US Cyclists and masks, Team Australia helmets
- August 7: Riccò confesses to using EPO, Carlos Sastre, Contador, A question for Susan Westemeyer, Confused, Lance and the doping debate, Accountability and cycling teams, Crank length formula, Bring back bonus seconds to liven le Tour, Yet another...Manual Beltran, ASO, doping and Astana
- July 31: A bike by any other name, Accountability and cycling teams, Andy Schleck "killing moves", Anti-doping chief calls Tour tests a success?, ASO, doping and Astana, Bad blood, Boycott le Tour and Olympics, Carlos Sastre, Bring back bonus seconds to liven le Tour, Canadian eh! Ryder Hesjedal, Cleaning up cycling, a suggestion, Confused, Crank Length Formula
- July 25: Confused, Consistency please, Damages paid, Dave Russell passes away, David Miller on Riccò, Do you believe?, Doping, ASO vs UCI, what is going on?, Evans to wear number one in Tour, How does Andy Schleck "kill all the moves"?
- July 24: Gerrans, One question & two predictions about the Tour, A bike by any other name, ASO, doping and Astana, Beating a dead horse, but..., Boycott le Tour and Olympics, Cascade Cycling Classic accident, Cleaning up cycling, a suggestion
- July 17 - Edition 2: The effect of time bonuses, Cascade Cycling Classic accident, Confused, Boycott le Tour and Olympics, Alison Starnes diary, Is McQuaid interested in Cycling at all?, More involvement needed from CPA, Teams ditch UCI, Yet another...Manual Beltran, LeMond: Cycling doesn't need UCI, Dave Russell passes away
- July 17 - Edition 1: Tour mountain cats, Is Pereiro getting a bum wrap?, Popovych! Where the bloody hell are you?, Evans' team-mates, Evans to wear number one in Tour, Poor quality of competition, Tour climbs, What if…, Riccó uses outdated bike in ITT, Fabian Wegmann's electronic Dura Ace problems?, Hushovd's Look, Stage 10 coverage was a treat!, Tour de France accident, EPO is back on the menu boys!, Consistency, please
- July 15: Tour de France: Stage 3 - The Badger is back!, Thor Hushovd's Look, Riccó uses outdated bike in ITT, Boycott le Tour and Olympics, Astana and the Tour, Romain Feillu, Cascade Cycling Classic accident, LeMond: Cycling doesn't need UCI, Tour de France accident, We Might As Well Win Review, Evans shoe covers, Pure climbers, Why on earth Danielson?, Historical information, Stefan Schumacher loses yellow, Sylvain Chavanel, Yet another...Manual Beltran, Stage 10 coverage was a treat!
- July 10: Stefan Schumacher, LeMond: Cycling doesn't need UCI, Excellent article - ASO v's UCI, Insulting comment, Romain Feillu, Pure climbers are they a thing of the past?, Evans and shoe covers, Evans to wear number one in Tour, Djamolidine Abdoujaparov, Experience with UST Mountain Tires, Boycott le Tour and Olympics, Astana and the Tour, Riders stuck in the middle, Oval bars, Landis decision
- July 4: WADA, Inconsistent Lab Analysis, and Landis, Rabobank and the Tour, ASO and past Tour winners, Landis decision, Teenager mauled by bear in Anchorage, Evans to wear number one in Tour, Experience with UST Mountain Tires, iPods while riding, Erik Zabel, Oval bars, ASO's hidden agenda, Joe Magnani, Djamolidine Abdoujaparov, Giro, ASO's world domination, Ban Boonen?, A Hollow Tour Victory
- June 26: ASO's hidden agenda, ASO's world domination, Ban Boonen?, Gilberto Simoni, Giro d'Italia, iPods while riding, Oval bars, Tour without minimum bike weight rule?, What about Friere
- 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 Riccò, 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.
