Letters to Cyclingnews - September 16, 2005

Australian worlds team

With all due respect to Ben Day, why was the current and 6-time Australian National Time Trial Champion - Nathan O'Neill - not selected to represent his country in the 2005 World TT championship? He was not selected in 2004 when he was the reigning champion of Australia either. Could the Australian selectors be biased because he chooses to race for an American-based team? I am curious how selections are made for a country's team. It seems odd that a country's federation would not choose its reigning champion in a discipline (Road or TT) for its World's team. I know Australia is not alone in this regard. Does anyone have an explanation? Thank you.

M. Giovanni

Chicago, IL
Monday, September 12, 2005

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Explaining the increases in performance

Dear Cyclingnews.com

By the end of the 1990s, we learnt that the abuse of EPO had become widespread and, in at least one case, institutionalised as a whole team, Festina, was buying and administering EPO for its riders. More recent courtroom revelations from Italy have shed further light on this, proving that quite a few names were using EPO to boost their performance.

If the 1990s were the dark days of cycling, why is it that recent versions of the Tour de France have been run at a higher average speed than in the 1990s? What is behind this? A tailwind every year since 1999? Smoother roads?

James Beaumont
Friday, September 9, 2005

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Debate settled, doping lives on

Welcome back to the entertainment business world of WWF wrestling and super sized performances driven by synthetic means. Cycling has a 130 year history with doping - which is quite understandable when you realise how tough the sport is, and how ridiculously long a season lasts. Add in the massive inflow of corporate advertising revenues--and you have an MLB-like level of corruption and deception.

And we now have complex blood doping on top of steroids and trauma care medicine.

It is now a fact that Lance has been confirmed - yet again as a doper. It is his third or fourth confirmation as such. The yellow bracelet wearers will deny it as a jealous lie. So be it. (EPO, corticosteroids, Actovegin, Insulin, andro)

All the riders are doped - not all in the same or effective ways - but medicated, nevertheless. That is the nature of pro cycling. No hope without the dope at the Tour de France or Pro Tour events, for certain.

We're glad to have you as a cyclist, as it is a beautiful sport. The Tour de France, however, is a business, not a sport. Don't ever think you can escape the NFL-like conditioning and stimulation by being a fan of pro cycling. The doping issue cannot be framed around Lance - he just screams wolf the loudest because of his endorsements and miracle story. Pity his sick teammates cannot grab a microphone and have a corporate sponsored forum too.

Tom Morris

Danville, Ca.
Friday, September 9, 2005

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Samuel Sanchez

I became a Samuel Sanchez fan after watching video of the 2003 and 2004 Liege Bastogne Liege. I later saw a video of his ride in the penultimate stage of the 2004 Paris-Nice, where he flew off Mount Tanneron only to be caught and dumped on the seafront by Vinokourov, and thought how unjust that such a classy rider hadn't won a race. So it was with a great deal of pleasure that I read today's result at the Vuelta. I have no idea if Sanchez would have won if the Colombian hadn't have blown the finish, but so what - this guy deserves a win. I hope it's the first of many.

Greg Greenan
Friday, September 09, 2005

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Scientific proof

A letter from Mr. Huber implies that Mr. Armstrong must be a doper because in part 'scientists aren't that inept' over testing procedures for dope. Yes they are, and I can tell you first hand as I am a scientist who has published in all of the right journals many times over. Scientists are like all people; they have egos, agendas, and as in all walks in life, many are simply not up to snuff.

Hence, to suggest scientists get the doping studies and tests right every time is simply untrue. It really depends on what agenda they have, determined in part, by how they are being paid and how much of their ego is invested in a particular test - and finally, what level of integrity they have. Wake up, there are a lot of reasons for many to want to do anything possible to indict Mr. Armstrong for his accomplishments, including scientists. In fact, if Mr. Armstrong was truly doped up for seven years, the physical consequences would have probably killed him rather than help him win seven Tours, irrespective of the alleged 'factual results' that Mr. Huber eludes to in his letter.

As a scientist I can evaluate what has been written with respect to the doping of Mr. Armstrong and interpret it so far to be all bunk. The interpretation of doping in this case wouldn't pass peer review in any respected journal. For you doubters out there, get on your bike, ride six hours a day hard, eat and rest well, and see how good you can be. Then, if you have a natural ability combined with dedication, you too could become a world class athlete, no dope needed. It amazes me what we can do when we put our minds to it, and Mr. Armstrong has put his mind to cycling like no other in human history, sans doping.

Dr. Al Brandon

Houston
Friday, September 9, 2005

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The perfect crime

The truth lies with Leblanc, because what a joke the tour would have become if the new yellow jersey holder was an EPO cheat. Which is what may have happened when Lance won the opening TT and Leblanc was forced to shut up or lose the tour knowing that one team was kicked out and others left because of the cheats in '98. He all but lost most of the sponsorship for the race and cycling in general as a result of 1998.

Now we have micro dosing and the use of doping products with a doctor's assistance to pass drug tests - for example, David Miller's use of EPO and still passing a doping test while winning a world championship TT medal - and all the time saying he always tested negative.

Devon Allegheny
Friday, September 09, 2005

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Another topic please

As a regular visitor to cyclingnews.com I sit and read the latest installment of letters with a sense of disappointment. I understand that the whole "did he or didn't he" issue with Lance is big, but surely there is more to talk about? This is damaging to our sport. Why not send in letters about whether Heras will be able to beat Menchov? If you think Petacchi can confirm in Madrid or if the Pro Tour will help lift the status of the Tour of Poland? Come on people, there is more to this great sport than cheats and drug allegations.

Tim Lee
Saturday, September 10, 2005

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CYCLINGnews.com

I would like to submit this brief note to remind everyone, readers and staff alike, that this wonderful website is indeed named CYCLINGnews.com and not DOPINGnews.com.

There is a huge amount of cycling and racing going on all over the globe that we could be discussing and reading about. As of late, everyone seems to have an overwhelming interest in fawning over a certain retired athlete suspected of doping. Really, who cares. If he did or if he didn't, none of us will be able to change history.

Let's not forget the basic, true reason we all come to this wonderful website - to find out who won and who lost and everything in between the start and finish lines. When you are out on your bike, doing what you do, are you thinking about Dick Pound and if Tyler really did sneak blood into his hotel room? I doubt it. You're probably thinking about how wicked it feels to ride a bike. Uphill, downhill, around the block, doesn't matter - as long as we are CYCLING.

For the other 99% of us, it really is about the bike.

Thankyou and goodnight,

Scott Thompson

Victoria, BC

Monday, September 12, 2005

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Doping

It seems that the educational quality of our correspondents (Phds etc) has increased greatly with the dialogue about the doping exposure on Armstrong. Never once have I seen what appears to me as an obvious source of testing protocol. Synthetic EPO and its new brother NESP are products from the biotechnology company AMGEN. If this company developed these drugs wouldn't it stand to reason that they can provide the resources to enable a fool proof test? Obviously they are in the business of saving lives and not providing a source of juiced up sporting performance. Therefore, they might not have quite the incentive that the UCI or WADA etc have in the need to find a foolproof testing protocol for the benefit of all agencies fighting to preserve the integrity of ALL endurance type sports.

It intrigues me that AMGEN must see all the international stories positively affecting lives with their drugs but at the same time read the confusing athletic type stories and nowhere have I seen a company comment... perhaps now is the time for them to wade into the fray.

Barry Whitworth

Roseburg, OR, USA
Friday, September 9, 2005

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Illegal motivation

I agree with Gordon Gross about the motivation of all those involved in the so-called Armstrong doping affair. But no one seems to have taken this demonstrated willingness to break both ethical and legal standards to its logical conclusion. If, as Dick Pond says, EPO can't suddenly appear in samples where there was none before, why can we not assume that it was introduced by the same criminals who concocted the story?

Brian Smith

Asheville, North Carolina
Friday, September 09, 2005

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Illegal motivation - another possibility

The letter by Gordon Gross discusses some very important considerations of this whole affair. However, it omits what I find to be one of the most obvious possibilities, one that I have yet to see discussed during this whole debate.

What of the possibility of laboratory personnel tampering, or "spiking" samples of urine. Now obviously in this lab they have access to urine samples with EPO in it. I suspect it would not be at all difficult for someone there to slip into the freezer and add a few drops of EPO laced urine into Lance or anyone else's specimen. I doubt that these samples are locked up like they might be in a police evidence room.

I find it a very viable option that the unscrupulous journalists and lab workers that have already committed obvious breaches of conduct could easily concoct and implement this scheme for their own benefit. If I were Lance, I'd be screaming bloody murder about this possibility.

Carl Otto, M.D.

San Francisco, CA
Friday, September 9, 2005

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Lance and the Tour de France

Simply put, the drug takers are ahead of the drug testers, unless an athlete or their doctor gets sloppy. Just because someone has not tested positive does not mean they are clean. In my opinion a majority of the racers in Europe take something. Armstrong has many talents, his mental strength, the discipline to do the training, correct coaching, superior (to most of us mere mortals) VO2 max and a freakish ability to dissipate lactic acid. If all the riders were clean I believe Armstrong would have won the same amount of races. Cycling is a great sport. It is a shame that the governing body is such a joke. The true harm for their incompetence will be the health of past, present and future cyclists.

Jeff Gunn,

Greenville, SC, USA
Sunday, September 11, 2005

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Drug use

Given Heras' woeful performance during this year's Tour de France and his current form during the Tour of Spain perhaps some questions need to be asked of the possible use of performance enhancing substances.

Should Heras be successful in winning his fourth Spanish Tour the paparazzi should (given precedents alleging drug use by multiple tour winners) set about asking similar questions to that asked of Armstrong.

Additionally, why stop with accusing Armstrong. Why not Indurain (who some argue retired under suspicious circumstances amid the dawn of the EPO era), Hinault, Merckx. And not to forget Anquetil who openly admitted drug use. Perhaps even Zabel, with record victories in the green jersey, could be seen as suspicious.

And perhaps we should all stop being so naive. Like it or not the use of performance-enhancing drugs past, present or future is a reality. The UCI needs to openly admit the failings of the sport - drug use is/was common, particularly in previous eras. Not to mention Virenque, who was suspended in disgrace only to come back with greater fan adulation. Come on, the sport which I dearly admire is becoming a joke. There should be nothing short of life bans for all drug use.

David Rae

Warrnambool, Australia*
Tuesday, September 13, 2005

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Alternate Universe

The doping allegations are not about explaining Lance's success, or Discovery's or anyone else's. The doping allegations are about explaining France's failure - "France doesn't win because France is clean". This doesn't stand up, because French riders have tested positive just like riders from many other countries.

The feature I'd like to see from Cyclingnews is a comparison of various national cycling programs at the amateur level, including US and France, including such things as number of licenses, percentage of licenses per capita, number of events, etc. My suspicion is that cycling is simply not the French sport that it once was, while it continues to grow in the United States.

If France can do something about the decline of their cycling program, then inevitably they will return to power again -- they will one day again have a dominating team. On that day, should we all assume that it is because they dope? Will L'Equipe then pronounce that the French are doping too? Or would France's return to cycling dominance miraculously signal that all of cycling is clean again? By using this lame excuse, France has dug itself into a hole from which there is no clean escape.

Thomas A. Fine

Cambridge, MA
Wednesday, September 14, 2005

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WADA

How can any athlete in any sport have any confidence in WADA given the comments of Dick Pound and the complete disregard for their own procedures when it suits them? If I was a high profile athlete that became a target I would be very concerned.

Or perhaps the French have an agenda of destroying cycling and putting it back in the dark ages so that it no longer attracts broad international interest and competitors, because it seems that is the only way a French rider will win anytime soon.

L'Equipe would sell just as many (if not more) newspapers in the above scenario.

As a footnote to the Lance debate, there hasn't been any (or much) comment about two things that make Lance a champion. 1. His propensity for hard work; 2. His lactate production levels being lower than anyone else. Just a thought.

Tony Unicomb

Australia
Thursday, September 15, 2005

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Chris Sheppard busted for EPO

Chris Sheppard had been doing some amateur road events in Oregon this year with some of his other pro Mtb buddies and his form was usually quite impressive. In one case he broke away with Health Net's Doug Ollerenshaw at the early season Banana Belt road race series, holding off the field and taking second place. I took the field sprint for third. I guess that second really belongs to me, huh Chris. And furthermore, that break might not have succeeded without Sheppard, so maybe I'd have won. I did win that series overall, so I'm not just blowing smoke.

Then there was the Silverton road race in Oregon. Again, Sheppard was there with some Kona pros and Adam Craig riding in his Health Net gear. Apparently Sheppard was "doing intervals" at this race - throttling it for 10 minute blocks and missing the break, probably because it wasn't in his training plan. He was nevertheless ripping legs off, and I was happy to take 10th place at this tough race while racing with a cold. I attacked on one of the final hills and was joined by Sheppard and the US Masters 50+ road champion and we formed a small group with a couple other guys. Here I bested Sheppard with my good sprint finish. Just another training ride for Mr. Sheppard. But I was happy to have beaten a pro more or less head to head. And now I can say I beat a real, bonified, caught red-handed, doped-up pro!

One of my teammates recounted last night how Sheppard, again with a gaggle of pro MTB guys raced the Columbia Plateau stage race in Oregon last May. In the service of race leader and previously busted fellow Canadian Roland Green, Sheppard set a torrid tempo at the based of the final day's major 12-mile long climb. He completely sold-out in an effort to decimate the field, which he succeeded in doing. I guess that was a test of how the "preparations" were coming along. Luckily our team leader at the race held on to his podium spot despite the presence of at least one talented doper in the peloton. Roland of course had been popped a couple years ago.

I guess this latest doping revelation confirms a few things for me. The first is that, yes indeed, "domestic pros" do in fact have the means to acquire, and have the access to doping products. This notion was recently dispelled by a friend of mine on the US pro circuit. He said things like EPO are just too expensive for lowly North American pros to purchase. The second confirmation is that in the NW region of the US, and I'll include the province of British Columbia too, there are riders that are doping. Is it just Sheppard? All or some of the pros? Just the mountain bikers? The roadies too? How about the top amateur guys looking for a pro contract who never get tested?

What this latest positive test result also does is open up a lot of questions for me. I know I'm clean. But now I wonder even more about the guys I race against here in the NW. They probably wonder about me too, especially since I'm finishing up my best season ever. Unfortunately Sheppard's positive will only add to the suspicion that the public and racers alike towards the top riders in the sport of cycling, from elite amateurs to the best riders in the world. And before, the only cheats I knew of were top pros I may have only raced against at elite events. There I didn't really feel cheated because I never had a chance at that level, but now I have the feeling of personally being cheated by a doper after racing with Sheppard in the NW. There's a real sense of feeling robbed when you lose to a doper. I can only imagine how someone making a living racing must feel when it comes out they've been beaten by a cheater.

So, have fun free-riding in B.C. Chris. I hope any of your buddies that are dirty get popped too. I can't imagine you are the only one cheating, but who knows?

Robert Campbell

Washington, USA
Thursday, September 15, 2005

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Just Do It

Look Lance. The only way to shut everyone up is to train for the old hour record, smash it over 50km, and publish the blood test results. Don't bother with the French and their attitude. Skip Italy and Spain. Do the tours of California and Georgia where you don't have to worry about people stuffing fake evidence under your door or tainting a pure specimen.

I also think Armstrong should give Hamilton the benefit of the doubt and encourage the USCF to allow him to race in the USA. By the way, he ruled on Mt. Washington and said if it wasn't so windy, he felt good enough to challenge Danielson's record time. I think history will show he was let down by the people who should have backed him up.

Timothy Shame,

USA
Monday, September 12, 2005

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Recent letters pages

Letters 2005

• September 9: The debate rages, Bad for cycling, Lance and the Tour de France, EPO Testing and Haematocrit, Doping, Illegal motivation, Lance the Man, Armstrong and doping, Question for Dick Pound..., Land of the Free, home of the Brave, Lance, I have a better idea, Where are the results?, Armstrong's Tour comeback, Don't make that mistake, Lance, Response to the test
• September 2: Lance Armstrong, all-American boy, Doping, Claude Droussent lies, L'Equipe credibility, Lance versus Jan, Jan versus Lance, Cold fusion and Lance, The perfect crime, EPO and the Wink Wink Standard, Germany owed four yellow jerseys?, Lance, cycling and cancer, Lance issues, The whole Lance doping issue, Neither defense nor attack, The test, Land of the Free, home of the Brave, Armstong couldn't come clean, Summarising the Lance situation, Lance's tests, Keep an open mind, Lance and doping, Check results before you wreck yourself, Seeing is believing, L'Equipe and ASO, and Lance, Lance and EPO, Aussie perspective on the upcoming worlds, A rave rather than a rant
• August 26: Lance and LeBlanc, Lance versus France, Can of worms story, The Test, Benoit Salmon wins the 1999 Tour, The perfect crime, Armstrong tests positive, L'Equipe and ASO, Lance rubbish, Lance and the French yellow press, Armstrong, EPO and WADA, Lance Downgrading Armstrong victories, Lance doping garbage, Lance versus Jan, Doping, Six stages to win the 99 tour, EPO test under scrutiny, Lance irony, Lance as a spokesman, Cyclists and politicians, Verbruggen's campaign to elect his successor, John Lieswyn, Can of worms, Americans in Paris
• August 19: Ned Overend, Guidi positive, What is going on at Phonak?, Ullrich's riding style, How about credibility from both sides?, Lieswyn's gesture
• August 12: Pro Tour 2006, Credibility from both sides?, Zabel leaves T-Mobile, Chris Horner, Ullrich's riding style, Well done Wayne!, Armstrong and class, Possible correlations
• August 5: Zabel leaves T-Mobile, Thanks from a survivor, Bicycle safety, Message for Chris Horner, Perspective, Discovery in ninth, Tech, Armstrong and class, The King of July!, Heras through rose colored glasses, Possible correlations
• July 29: Perspective, France and Lance's Legacy, Armstrong and class, Best Wishes to Louise, Levi's Diary, Heras through rose colored glasses, The King of July, Here we go again!, Treat Lance like the others, Tech, Lance Armstrong's time trial equation, Life begins at 30
• July 22: McEwen - villain to superhero, Underdogs and overdogs at the Tour, Big George, George Hincape, Hincapie's stage win, Cadel's Tour memory, What the fans would love to see, Is Godefroot really NOT the man?, A true classic, Phonak's poor sportsmanship, Phonak double standards, My new hero, Discovery Channel tactics, Lance Infomercial?, Treat Lance like the others, TdF sprint finishes, Leaky Gas?, Little black box
• July 15: The best seat in the house, Joseba Beloki, Message for Chris Horner, Treat Lance like the others, Lance Infomercial?, McEwen defense, Rail lines in the TdF, Ruse Discovered?, Discovery's unanimous breakdown, IS Jan really the man?, Cycling socks, Patrick Lefevre quit your whining, Armstrong and class, Leaky Gas?, TdF sprint finishes, Who is in charge of the UCI?, Tires and slippery roads, Response to the Vowels of Cycling, Little black box
• July 8: McEwen defends himself, Tires and slippery roads, Random test on Lance Armstrong, French Government dope controls, The Pro Tour and Grand Tours, Tour de France's early finish?, Here we go again!, Thank you, Ed Kriege, Lance Infomercial?, No, the other Merckx!, The Vowels of Cycling, Armstrong's pre-Tour communiqués, Armstrong and class
• July 1: No, the other Merckx!, Armstrong's pre-Tour communiqués, The Vowels of Cycling, Figures of merit - TdF tipping, Lance Infomercial?, Daily Terror, Sydney article, Why Michael Rogers will be awesome with T-Mobile, I love it!, MTB news, Twins
• June 24: Sydney article, Hit and run on cyclists - Australia's new blood sport?, Another fatal hit and run on Australian cyclists, How can Ullrich win the Tour?, Drop Verbruggen, The second American, When the Tour heads up, Droppin' the Kilo!, Kilo or no go, What is Michael Rogers thinking?, Rogers to T-Mobile, For the love of god don't do it Mick!, The first yellow jersey, Horner Impressive, Leave T-Mobile/Fassa Bortolo, renew your career!, Horner's stage win at the Tour de Suisse, Bobby Julich, Daily Terror, Hell on Wheels review
• June 17: Droppin' the Kilo!, Killing the kilo and 500, The kilo, Axing the Kilo?, The track Time Trials, The first yellow jersey, Armstrong and Class, The year of the comeback, Horner's stage win at the Tour de Suisse
• 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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