Letters to Cyclingnews - June 17, 2005

Killing the kilo and 500

I'm sure I won't be the only one writing to cyclingnews.com following the shock announcement of dropping the track time trials from the Olympic program, but it will take every fan voicing their opinion to get the message to the UCI and IOC that the time trials have to stay!

Gerard Knapp and John Stevenson, I applaud your words regarding this subject, nothing more needs to be added to your arguments. However we do need the weight of all cycling fans to get our opinions heard. I urge every fan of cycling to sign the petition mentioned in the June 12 article.

Surely our state and national cycling bodies can put pressure on the UCI, after all, are they not a member driven organisation? Are they not obliged to listen to what the members want? Email your State or National cycling federation wherever you are in the world and let them know you want the time trials to stay.

Of course, they tell us that something in the program has to give to make way for BMX racing, and therefore fans of whichever discipline that is dropped will be disappointed. However, I don't think you will see the same amount of outcry for other events as you will see from the fans of this most exciting and pure test.

Gary Jackson

Bairnsdale, Australia
Sunday, June 12, 2005

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The kilo

Looking for results of the Dauphine I found that the kilo is no longer to be part of the Olympic games; does this mean that the 1500 metres in track is no longer part of the schedule.? or the 100 due to scheduling issues with more populous events. And the high jump, not commercial enough. yes this is very contentious, who do I write to? How do we apologise to Trentin and Morelon? to Patrick Sercu and Tournant, Queally Chris Hoy and Theo Bos. This is sad and shocking.

Dean Willis

New York, USA
Friday, June 10, 2005

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Axing the Kilo?

I am not a trackie, nor have I ever watched the kilo. But, where is the logic in axing the Kilo and the 500? Maybe the 500, but the kilo? If ever there was a track event that fascinated me, or anyone for that matter, the kilo is right up there. This reminds of when the UCI would fine Marion Cipollini for bringing some excitement to the sport. They argued in favor of tradition, but I think they were arguing in favor of stoicism and lack of vision. The velodrome is already there. So, why ax two events that actually have the potential to make money? This is yet another in a long series of stupid decisions from the UCI. All I want to know is, who makes these sort of decisions? And, who made the decision to elect these desicion makers? If the UCI cannot come to terms with the weight of public opinion then I say it's time to start a new governing body.

Christopher Itaya

San Diego, California 'roadie'
Sunday, June 12, 2005

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The track Time Trials

Being a pom ie from the Nation with the best men Km riders and soon Vick Pendleton is going to be doing the business for the women at 500 metres I feel like at having a good whinge at the decision to axe the track time trials from the Olympics. I suppose it could be argued that the sprinters are spoilt for choice, with opportunities in match sprints, the time trials and the keirin.

Surely though, if something has to go, it ought to be the keirin. And that alone is reason for dispute. The sprints are pure person against person contests, the time trials are person against the clock, the keirin though is a rather farcical scenario with this ridiculous wind up behind a pacer before racing properly and luck as well as athletic ability and judgment influencing the outcome. Hope someone from the UCI gets an opportunity to read this.

Reg Oakley

Sevenoaks, UK
Monday, June 13, 2005

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The first yellow jersey

Who will wear the first yellow jersey of the 2005 Tour de France? Listed below are the favorites for the opening 19 km time trial and a movie that suits their quest for "The Holy Grail" of cycling.

S. Botero - "Rocky III" - TT wins in Romandie and the Dauphin Libere make him a heavyweight contender.
J. Ullrich - "Groundhog Day" - destined to repeat the Tour over and over until he does everything right.
L. Armstrong - "Gladiator" - his final battle approaches. 'What we do in France echoes in eternity.'
L. Leipheimer - "Diehard" - he won't give up no matter what the odds are. 'Yippee-Ki-Yay!'
M. Rogers - "The Road Warrior" - the Australian with a powerful motor under the hood will try to make his stripes supercharged.
G. Hincapie - "The Hulk" - big, fast, and muscular. Just don't make him angry.
F. Landis - "Revenge of the Sith" - the apprentice must face his former master. 'It will not be as it was before' (in Georgia).
I. Basso - "The Godfather" - can he knock off his rivals and become the big boss of the peloton?
B. McGee - "Dirty Harry" - watch out. He packs a powerful weapon. 'Go ahead. Make my day.'
D. Zabriskie - "Silence of the Lambs" - he may just turn the favorites into chopped liver with fava beans.
F. Cancellara - "A Bridge Too Far" - 19 km is a long way to go for this prologue specialist.
J. Voigt - "Seabiscuit" - a longshot perhaps, but he's tough as nails.

Of course there are "A Few Good Men" who also hope to win this race of truth. Who will you be watching for?

Timothy Shame, USA
Monday, June 13, 2005

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Armstrong and Class

Does Lance have class in the peloton? I think so. He is in support of teammates until the Tour de France, and then the team is in support of him. He treats the team with respect, and his opponents too: waiting for a fallen Jan, or gifting Pantani with a climb (Ventoux), he himself will never win. You do not become the boss with wins alone. It takes more. The Simeoni incident during the 2004 Tour, when Lance chased down the attack in order to offer Simeoni the chance to bow from the attack or drag the entire attack down was curious. It was a personal matter played out on a long, rolling stage near the end of le Tour. Lance had the physical power to ruin the chances of a man [who attacked him as a person] to win a race. It was a brutal assertion of a patron.

Does Lance have class out of the peloton? I think so, but he is blunt in comment and action. He has grown since he was a brash world champion from Texas - refusing to meet the King of Norway because he would not "check his mom at the door." But he still delivers the sting; in the recent 'Outside' magazine, he took a personal shot at Greg LeMond for gaining "40 lbs". It was a little brutal I thought. It illustrates a point though: I think it is safe to say Lance is a brutal person when you get personal.

I will say I am an Armstrong fan; I admire Lance because he has delivered a mass of new fans to the sport. He is a champion of le Tour and of the sport. And you cannot be such a champion with wins alone. You need some love and/or some hate too. I think Lance gets more than enough of both.

Jamie

Baltimore, Maryland
Monday, June 13, 2005

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The year of the comeback

And if this trend continues, Oscar Sevilla will win the Tour in three years, after also leaving T-Mobile. Why Vinokourov hasn't left is baffling to me. He should be begging to be let go! Isn't he paying attention? If I were Vandenbrouke, I'd be begging to be signed by T-Mobile so that I could then get cut and resurrect my career elsewhere. Apparently the cycling fountain of youth is at the end of a T-Mobile contract.

Ray C

Orange County, California
Tuesday, June 14, 2005

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Horner's stage win at the Tour de Suisse

Maybe we should have seen it coming, after his great ride in Philly. But, wow. That was a nice big surprise, and on a big Cat 1 mountain, no less. Way to go Chris, chalk one up for the underdogs. I hope that performance earns you a ride in the Tour, you proved today that you deserve it.

While I'm at it, here's wishing good luck in the TdF to another underdog, Cadel Evans. Looking forward to seeing a great ride from you this year.

Thom Wilder

Laguna Niguel, CA, USA
Thursday, June 16, 2005

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Recent letters pages

Letters 2005

• June 10: The year of the comeback, An open letter to Cadel Evans, How Ullrich can win the Tour, USPRO/Liberty, Lance, the Tour and the Giro, Lance and the Tour, Show us your discards Godefroot!, Armstrong and Class, Ivan's training ride, Giro comments
• June 3: Giro comments, Giro excitement vs Tour blah, Ivan Basso, Ivan's training ride, Discovering the future, Jose Rujano, Savoldelli vs Simoni, How Ullrich can win the Tour, Eddy Merckx Interview, Johan Bruyneel, Show us your discards Godefroot!, Improving Pro Tour Team Rankings, Lance and the Tour, Armstrong and class
• May 27: Giro excitement vs Tour blah, Great Giro!, Double or nothing..., Colle delle Finestre and a Cipo farewell, Joseba Beloki, Ivan's training ride, Hell on Wheels, Matt Wittig, How Ullrich can win the Tour, UCI fines, Armstrong and class, Eddy Merckx Interview, The disappointment of Viatcheslav Ekimov, You have let us down Paolo
• May 20: Colle delle Finestre tactics, Rogues, It just keeps happening, Davis Phinney, Joseba Beloki, Australia - number one, You have let us down Paolo, Bettini/Cooke, What's up with pro cyclists these days?, Cipo, Cipo, Cipo, A question about team names, The disappointment of Viatcheslav Ekimov, Go Eki!
• May 13: Hit and run, Bettini vs Cooke, Bettini's Illegal sprint, You have let us down Paolo, Giro, Bettini/Cooke, Cookie's crumble, Bjarne's right: There's only one Jens Voigt!, Jens Voigt and the blind, South Australians protest against hit-and-run death, It just keeps happening, Liberty Seguros, The disappointment of Viatcheslav Ekimov, Go Eki!, Australia - number one, Irresistible in July, UCI weight rule
• May 6: South Australians protest against hit-and-run death, Tyler Hamilton's case, Hamilton and the facts The USADA decision on Tyler Hamilton, Tyler Hamilton, Tyler, Testing and the Virenque Comparison, How do dopers live with themselves?, General view on doping, Hamilton guilty regardless of the facts, Hamilton verdict, Tyler is good going uphill, Hamilton interview, Klöden comments, Tyler H, Simoni, Grazie Mario, Sheryl Crow, or should we say...Yoko Ono
• April 29: South Australians protest against hit-and-run death, Tyler Hamilton's case, Hamilton and the facts The USADA decision on Tyler Hamilton, Tyler Hamilton, Tyler, Testing and the Virenque Comparison, How do dopers live with themselves?, General view on doping, Hamilton guilty regardless of the facts, Hamilton verdict, Tyler is good going uphill, Hamilton interview, Klöden comments, Tyler H, Simoni, Grazie Mario, Sheryl Crow, or should we say...Yoko Ono
• April 22: Lance Armstrong's retirement, W is for Witchhunt, Tyler's mishandling defense, Not for real, is it?, Bad Science, Blood testing issues, Hamilton - finally a decision, Regarding the Tyler Hamilton decision, Tyler Hamilton, Satisfying Verdict for Hamilton Case, How do dopers live with themselves?, Hamilton's case, Tyler Hamilton's case, Hamilton, Hamilton verdict and a call for outside expertise, Tyler Hamilton saga..., Tour de France preview...2006!, Klöden comments, Tour de France Training, The New Dynamic Duo, Sheryl Crow, or should we say...Yoko Ono, Random Musings
• April 15: Glenn Wilkinson, USADA and Hamilton, Bergman; so sad, ProTour leader's jersey, That's a Jersey?, Too many chiefs?, Track World Championships, What do you think?
• April 8: The New Dynamic Duo, Boonen's Hairdo, Viral infections and antibiotics, George Hincapie, What do you think?, Track World Championships, VDB?, A little bit more about blood doping, Blood testing issues
• April 1: Well done Ale-jet, Eyes of tigers..., Viral infections and antibiotics, Let's talk about cycling…, What's worth talking about in cycling?, First Ride of the season, The New Dynamic Duo, Blood testing issues, Sydney Thousand, UCI Pro Tour Grand Theft, not Grand Tour
• March 18: The Forgotten Hero!, Way to go Bobby, Bobby J, Lance has lost the ‘Eye of the tiger’, Blood testing issues and Hamilton, With all Due Respect, All this Lance Talk..., Is Lance getting soft?
• March 11: Blood testing issues and Hamilton, Cycling on TV, In Defence of UCI president Hein Verbruggen, Defending the Pro Tour?, Is Lance getting soft?, Lance has lost the "eye of the tiger"
• March 4: In Defence of the Pro-Tour, Grand Tours back down...for now, Armstrong and Simeoni,Help - what’s on the TV?, Cycling on TV, Lance Defends His Title!, Hamilton movie role downplayed, Blood testing issues and Hamilton, I really don't know when it happened
• February 25: Lance Defends His Title!, Build it and tear it down?, Build, dismantle and donate!, Lance's Hour Record attempt, I really don't know when it happened, Can't get enough!, Dream on
• February 18: Build it and tear it down?, Remember Marco, One Reason I Love Cycling, The ongoing Hour Record Saga, Lance’s Hour Record attempt, Can't get enough!
• February 11: One Reason I Love Cycling, Francisco Cuevas, F-One - Come down to earth Lance!, Armstrong and the Hour, Can't get enough!, Greatest of all time
• February 4: F-One - Come down to earth Lance!, Armstrong and the Hour, Armstrong and Simeoni, Can't get enough!, Help, Greatest of all time Eddy is King, but who is second best?
• January 28: "I am the greatest of all time", Armstrong and the Hour Record, F-One - Come down to earth Lance!, Lance Drug Probe, Armstrong and Simeoni, Can’t get enough!, Help, NBC's 2004 RAAM Coverage, Doping, Crash distance from 1km to 3km, Eddy is King, but who is second best?
• January 21: Professional Cyclists, Der Kaiser's Goals, Jan Ullrich's problem = Lance, Rider of the Year, Crash distance from 1km to 3km, Help, Lance vs. Eddy
• January 14: Der Kaiser's goals, Help, Foreign stage races, Lance vs. Eddy, Tour '05, Rider of the Year, Best bikes for heavy riders, Quick Step helmets
• January 7: Death of Dmitri Neliubin, Der Kaiser’s goals, Rider of the Year, Best bikes for heavy riders, Who's Greater? Come on now!, Virenque "most charismatic"?, Downhilling, Downhill time trial, Trendy cyclists, No flat tyres, Spring classics trip advice, Bettini's trainer
• January 3: Spring classics trip advice, Big Bear ends downhilling, Armstrong and Simeoni, Holding teams accountable, Downhill time trial, Trendy cyclists, Bettini's trainer, No flat tyres

Letters 2004

• December 24 letters - Why are cyclists so trendy?, Business and cycling, Big Bear ends downhilling, Off-bike weight gain, No flat tires, Armstrong and Simeoni
• December 17 letters - Business and cycling, Tom versus Axel , Big Bear ends downhilling, Shane Perkins, Spring classics trip advice, Tyler Hamilton, Phonak and the UCI, Why are cyclists so trendy?, Mark Webber interview, Armstrong and Simeoni, Injured and missing it: an update, Clyde Sefton
• December 10 letters - Why are cyclists so trendy?, Big Bear ends downhilling, Floyd's choices?, Merckx, fit and trim, Pound must go, Spring classics trip advice, Tyler Hamilton, Phonak and the UCI, Punishment: Vandenbroucke vs Hamilton, Prosthetic hip, Armstrong and Simeoni, Dave Fuentes, Homeopathy, Jeremy Yates, TDF coverage for Australia, Weight limits and maintenance, Mark Webber interview
• December 3 letters - Domestiques vs Lieutenants, Tyler Hamilton, Phonak and the UCI, Dave Fuentes, Santa vs Hairy Guy, Why are cyclists so trendy?, Mark French and homeopathy, Shane Perkins, Jeremy Yates, Weight limits and maintenance, UCI regulations, Armstrong and Simeoni, Prosthetic hip
• November 26 letters - Mark French and homeopathy, Two big guns in one team, Tyler Hamilton case, Bartoli's retirement, Dave Fuentes, Shane Perkins, Merckx and Armstrong, Training like Lance, Lance Armstrong, Why are cyclists so trendy?, Phonak gets what it deserves, Armstrong and Simeoni, Bike weight, Spouseless riders, Mary McConneloug, Adam Craig, Mark Webber interview, Santa vs Hairy Guy
• November 19 letters - Tyler Hamilton case, Phonak gets what it deserves, Are you there Mr Coates?, Bike Weight, Merckx and Maertens make up, Heart troubles, Where to find cycling spouses, Mark Webber interview, Lance Armstrong, Where's Greg?, What ever happened to..., Why are cyclists so trendy?, Armstrong and Simeoni, l'Etape du Tour registration, Still Laughing
• November 12 letters - Why Armstrong will ride the 2005 Tour, Scott Sunderland, Why are cyclists so trendy?, Armstrong and Simeoni, Where to find cycling spouses, Lance on Italian selection, Heart troubles, l'Etape du Tour registration, Tour 2005 team time trial, What ever happened to..., Love and a yellow bike
• November 5 letters - Love and a yellow bike, Tour 2005, Where to find cycling spouses, Why are cyclists so trendy?, Lance on Italian selection, Armstrong and Simeoni, Tour of Southland, Construction technique for veloway, Heart troubles, l'Etape du Tour registration, Rahsaan Bahati
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