Letters to Cyclingnews - September 23, 2005

Australian worlds team

Speaking of Worlds selection, congrats to all the riders who have made the team but please somebody explain to me why Robbie can't have the team he wants to help him win? Gatsey is his faithful lieutenant who has ridden for him for years. He knows Robbie better than Robbie does! He doesn't have results under his belt, but hey, that can only mean that he knows his job and he does it. He has just come from Spain so he is ready, acclimatised and in all fairness mature enough to know what to do and when to do it. The last word POLITICS!

Michael Cross
Friday, September 23, 2005

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Australian worlds team #2

In relation to the letter from M. Giovanni

I have a long association with Ben Day - investing my time and efforts as his coach in the "early days" as well as being a constant source of support with the life of sacrifice that he leads. With all due respect to Nathan, Ben has been selected because he is a capable rider in the world of cycling and more specifically in the TT discipline. While you may have a question to the selectors, please be very careful to ensure that you do not ask your question at the expense of a riders' hard fought reputation.

Ben's recent achievements in the Tour of Britain were excellent. His living away from his home, friends, language and warm weather show that he is no less dedicated to the sport of cycling. His achievements, including the Australian Championship at the TT, show that he is well credentialed to do what the selectors have shown faith in him to do.

I appreciate your support for Nathan and hope you better understand that there are supporters of Ben Day that know it is from hard work and sacrifice that has allowed him to be in a position to ride at the worlds for Australia.

Vince McLachlan
Tuesday, September 20, 2005

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Australian worlds team #3

Thanks M.Giovanni,

For your concerns over selections for Australia's Team at this years road worlds in Madrid in mid-September.

The Australian open road time trial championship, of which Nathan O'Neill is the champion, was in January. Ben Day has performed exceptionally well in the past month in EUROPE, and is also an exceptional time trial rider. Nathan O'Neill is also an exceptional time trial rider, but we are talking Worlds, and potential for a CURRENT result.

The same goes for the outstanding results of a US citizen that has cleaned up the Tour over the past seven occasions, but has chosen to reside in Europe during his preparation, and realised where you have to be based to deliver the desired outcome.

The U.S. of A's Athens Olympic cycling results are also testament to where you need to race and have a base, both men and women, to realise your ultimate dream.

Trust this clarifies your concerns over Australia's worlds selection, and life outside the U.S. of A.

Mark and Bronwyn
Tuesday, September 20, 2005

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Go Mick!

To all those last year who questioned Mick Roger's TT credentials in this forum, I am very glad that he has proved you wrong. If it wasn't enough last year that he won by a huge margin, some of the best time trial riders in the world were there this year and they were way off. OK, he had a very bad Tour overall by his standards for some reason but that doesn't mean that he is not a good time trial rider, as he has shown here. I am sure there will be others who will again question his credentials but three is a row speaks for itself - well done Mick.

Simon Quirk

Seattle, WA
Thursday, September 22, 2005

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Infighting

Whether one supports Lance Armstrong or not, the most telling events about this whole situation are the actions and infighting among the UCI and Pound/WADA. It is clear that these organisations are nothing but little fiefdoms of their respective dictators and neither group will budge an inch towards cleaning up the sport ethically or providing any type of transparency.

Seeing Pound pronounce UCI as the villain only to now have the UCI state that the WADA [and therefore Pound] are blocking the investigation reminds me of the worst sort of bickering - the type that should be reserved for five year olds on a school playground. I believe it would difficult for anyone to state with a straight face that there is not a problem with doping in cycling [as in many sports]. And that is a shame. However, when the organisations responsible for cleaning up the sport are these kangaroo courts led by half-witted petty dolts, the future is not looking very bright. I am saddened by the actions of those who cheat in the sport and am completely disgusted by the actions of those who claim responsibility and authority to clean up the sport.

Sean R. Jones

Trinidad and Tobago
Tuesday, September 20, 2005

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Pound Ill informed

The statement by Dick Pound that EPO can't suddenly appear in samples where there was none before highlights the anti-doping czar's lack of knowledge on the subject.

As detailed on your website http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/?id=EPOv2 the EPO urine test detects the difference between natural EPO and recombinant EPO which has a slightly different weight and charge. EVERY urine sample contains natural EPO, and it is conceivable that long term freezing could alter the protein to mimic recombinant EPO. This is all theoretical of course; no-one has published any research to rule in or rule out this possibility, but that is the entire point.

I am just as passionate about clean sport as Mr Pound - however, the war against doping is fought largely on credibility, and if he continues to make such ill-informed, knee-jerk comments, he weakens the credibility of the WADA.

Dr Warren Jennings

Queensland, Australia
Monday, September 19, 2005

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WADA mess

Dick Pound is a disgrace to WADA. We recreational and amateur racers who support clean cycling want rigorous enforcement. But time and time again, Pound has spoken out as a zealot, rather than the deliberative head of an important organisation. I call for his removal and I think other cyclists should, too. If he's not up to his eyeballs in conspiracy to frame certain cyclists, then he's acting as a mouthpiece for those who may be. At worst (and this may be the most likely answer) he's an incompetent who doesn't know when to keep quiet.

Greg Root

Worcester, Mass.
Friday, September 16, 2005

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Heras and the Giro

Manolo Saiz's idea of sending Roberto Heras to the Giro d'Italia in preparation for the Tour de France is proof that sometimes team directors DO know what they're doing. The decision is almost certain to be fruitful, for a variety of reasons. As Saiz himself pointed out, he seemed to do well in the Vuelta a Espana after riding the Tour. Maybe his passion for the Vuelta was powerful enough to create a physiological pattern, and now, after several years, he has unintentionally conditioned himself to do well in the second Grand Tour of the season rather than the first.

But there might be a more emotional reason for it, too. The last time Heras entered the Giro (in 1999 on the evergreen Kelme team), not only did he win a stage right in front of Gilberto Simoni and Ivan Gotti on the way to fifth place overall, but several months later, he also broke through to the podium of the Vuelta for the first time in his career, placing third at the tender age of 25. The following year, he was just brimming with possibility; the world was his oyster. He proceeded to take fifth in the Tour de France, his best result to date, and then, best of all, took his superb form to Spain to win the Vuelta outright. What a magical couple of years that was for Heras! The following year, he switched to US Postal Service, a move that had its own rewards but distanced him in some ways from Spain.

The Giro, then, may turn out to be more than just a way for Heras to leverage his talent for "second efforts," as Saiz modestly suggests. Seven years on, Heras may find - despite a love for his native Spain that is second to no man's - that he has a lot of happy memories in Italy. He may even start to be reminded of his time on the invincible Kelme of 1999 - of trading attacks with Oscar Sevilla and Jose Jaime Gonzalez, of exploring the boundaries of his talent, of the old adventures. And maybe he can use those memories to again find the magic of 1999 and 2000. The scientific mind of Manolo Saiz may, once again, give rise to a beautifully unscientific story.

Jeffrey Jones

Morgan Hill, CA
Saturday, September 17, 2005

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Verbruggen is wrong

Just a small but valuable point. Cyclingnews writes:

'The journalist came to the UCI wanting to write a positive story about Armstrong,' Verbruggen told Dutch paper Telegraaf. 'For this, he wanted insight in his medical dossier. Armstrong and the UCI agreed to this after long discussions. He couldn't find anything, as they were all blank. Armstrong never used any medications.'

It seems to me that Verbruggen is trying to spin this so hard that he's forgetting his facts. Armstrong did indeed use "permitted" medications - in the 1999 Tour, in fact. From VeloNews: 'In the 1999 Tour, a urine sample showed small traces of corticosteroids. Armstrong was cleared, however, when his U.S. Postal team produced a medical certificate showing that he used a cream to ease the pain of a saddle sore.'

Armstrong's camp and the UCI are obviously very irritated about l'affaire L'Equipe, but all they've done so far has been to blame the messenger(s) and smear anyone who's not on their side. Only today, for the first time, do we hear Lance's excuse for the retro-positives, from his agent: "Someone put EPO in them if the test is accurate." (Sounds to me a bit like the Pantani persecution complex, in which the poor suffering pro cyclist is framed and forced to extremes by the criminals around him.)

Also, a side note: Verbruggen seems to say that if a journalist wants to write a *positive* story about a cyclist - hey, no problem, open the books. But if the journalist wants to investigate the rider (which is to say, if the journalist wants to do his real job rather than writing puff pieces fawning over celebrity and power), then tough luck. Very telling, I say, about the way the UCI works.

Philip Higgs

Boulder, CO
Friday, September 16, 2005

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Chris Sheppard busted for EPO

Yep, you da man Robert. Virtually second in the one race, 10th in the other, 23rd in the circuit race at Enumclaw and DNF (what does that stand for?) in the road race...good work, if you were here I'd pat you on the back. Your pro contract should be in the mail. I'm still waiting on my pro contract after Filip Meirhaeghe tested positive and it moved me up to 76th place in the 2004 Calgary World Cup XC - I'm sure it will be here soon.

First and foremost - in the words of another great Canadian mountain biker (Geoff Kabush) "Doper's Suck". I am disappointed to find out about Sheppard, but believe that the bulk of top North American mountain bikers (and road cyclists for that matter) are clean. Your reference to two-time World Champion Roland Green is completely off base - he was penalised for not producing the appropriate paperwork for asthma medication at the time. FYI, that's different to EPO.

To make my point short ... worry less about what others are doing, the only thing you can control is yourself. congrats on the year, but you likely don't need to tell everyone how well you did.

Byron Davis

Calgary, Alberta
Friday, September 16, 2005

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Chris Sheppard busted for EPO #2

This letter is written as a response to Robert Campbell's letter regarding Chris Sheppard's EPO bust. While I, like most competitive cyclists, are sick and tired of performance-enhancing drugs and the scourge they represent to the sport, it's important that we don't treat all positive tests in the same light when a cyclist gets busted for a psuedoepherdrine in an over the counter allergy remedy - this is not the same intent to cheat as a positive for EPO, HGH, anabolics, etc.

When Roland Green gets nailed for a paperwork issue regarding an inhalant prescribed to him from his doctor for his asthma (and previously accepted by all the cycling bodies) this is also not the same intent. When Jan Ullrich was busted for the party drug ecstasy, it was initially reported that his positive drug test was indication he was a doper- ecstasy is not in any way performance enhancing as relates to cycling.

Robert Cambell's point about the peloton at Columbia plateau already containing one doper in Roland Green is an unfounded comment based on misinformation. With all the dopers in the pro peloton it is ever more important that we still give all the benefit of the doubt and don't cast any undue light on athletes until all the facts are known.

Matt Bodkin

Whistler, BC
Friday, September 16, 2005

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Explaining increases in performance

As always, I'd like to toss in my two cents on a "question of the day." In explaining the increases in performance/speed at the Tour - I would like to share a couple examples.

First, after holding out and riding my old bike setup for far too long, I stepped up with a massive upgrade in bike and equipment. The difference in performance in relation to speed is remarkable, with as much as 2.5 mph/average speed increase for some of my longer rides. Secondly, I recently swapped out my wife's old wheels with new ones. Her first comment after using these wheels was that the wheels "...are a LOT faster!" (She also asked why I didn't change the wheels before - I couldn't answer that question).

Given that cycling combines the human element with the mechanical, changes that improve the mechanical equal higher performance. Just considering changes in wheels and frames alone you have a peloton that is significantly faster. Add to it all the latest training tools such as power meters and you have a gain in performance over the past 10 years.

The equipment factor being considered, maybe doping is really not as prevalent in the peloton as some would have us believe. Maybe the existing doping controls actually work? Maybe then people such as Dick Pound are so sure that there is a huge doping problem because it's their job? Sure would help his (and others in his line of work) job security if he can get us all to believe the world is full of cheats.

There can be no doubt that there are those who use performance enhancing drugs - but I'll bet there are not as many of them as you might think.

Bruce Lee*

Redmond, WA
Friday, September 16, 2005

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Quote of the year

Bravo Lance for the quote of the year, "I'm in here dealing with his BS," said Armstrong. "I've got three kids out swimming in the pool, splashing around, screaming my name...I'm sick of this." And YES, Mr. Pound is one of my least favourite people and I consider him a man of zero integrity.

J.C. Van Deventer

Kansas City, MO
Friday, September 16, 2005

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Vuelta rest day observations

In last week's letter from Eric Bowen about Vuelta rest day observations, he makes mention of how Tom Danielson is the "future" of the Discovery Tour team. Why do people keep saying things like this?

Danielson, other than having a few good rides in Europe and always improving it seems, still has yet to prove himself out in a three week Tour. Popo has done this a couple of times already. And all of this talk about Danielson being the "future" of the team. When are people going to realise that he's 27 years old. He's not the future of anything. This guy concedes that Danielson might be ready to take the reins of the Disco Tour de France team in a couple of years. If this is the case, he'll be, oh, 30 years old, and won't have too many years of high level racing in the legs.

Look people, I'm not saying Danielson isn't a great talent, but before we start singing his praises do you think we can try to let him prove himself first? And no, top 10 in the Vuelta doesn't really signify much at this point in time. A nice result, but he finished eighth overall.

Tom Arsenault

Chapel Hill, NC
Friday, September 16, 2005

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Recent letters pages

Letters 2005

• September 16: Vuelta rest day observations, Australian worlds team, Explaining the increases in performance, Debate settled, doping lives on, Samuel Sanchez, Scientific proof, The perfect crime, Another topic please, CYCLINGnews.com, Doping, Illegal motivation, Illegal motivation - another possibility, Lance and the Tour de France, Drug use, Alternate Universe, WADA, Chris Sheppard busted for EPO, Just Do It
• 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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