Letters to Cyclingnews - September 30, 2005

Ale-Jet

Petacchi has shot up even higher in my estimation after today's interview on Cyclingnews.com. No excuses and no blame. Just honest, mature and dignified self appraisal in the face of the usual stupid histrionics from (some) of the press. Perhaps when he hangs up his wheels he can start a career helping other sportsmen in the public eye to do the same!

Rob Garbett
Wednesday, September 28, 2005

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Ale-Jet blasts his critics...

Bravo to Alessandro Petacchi for his mature response to those who questioned his performance at the Worlds. Like every other guy in that race, I'm sure he wanted more than anything to be in it in the end, but it just wasn't to be. It's as simple as that.

Clearly Boonen was The MAN that day...Cheers!

Matt Gersib

Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
Wednesday, September 28, 2005

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Petacchi's class

I have never like Italian riders or their national football team. I love all their history, food and wine but not one sporting individual. That is, until the exceptionally classy Petacchi. The man is pure class; he responds to his critics by focussing on himself and when McEwen tried to get a helping hand in the 2004 Giro, he just 'publicly' called him a bit of a joker. When he wins he focuses on his leadout men, something Robbie has copied lately. All speed to his legs.

Justin Sykes (Aussie living in the UK who visits your website at least once a day.)

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

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Petacchi

Just read Petacchi's response to the criticism of his worlds tilt. Well thought out and well said. I didn't like him before, but now, I think he is a true champion and a gentlemen! Good on you Alessandro!

Ben K

Adelaide , SA
Friday, September 30, 2005

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Bravo, Lieswyn

Of the many great diarists you have, you're losing one of my favorites in John Lieswyn. I now find the race within the race as important as the final result, thanks to John. And as a career professional who rides on the side, I have a great respect for his ability to balance the "real world" with bike racing. He's quite capable of taking care of himself, but I wish him the best of luck regardless.

Dan Fuller

Seattle, WA USA
Wednesday, September 28, 2005

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French bias

While WADA and UCI are bickering like school children over who did what, the Director of Sports, Dominique Laurent makes a very telling statement - "We have communicated this to the UCI in a letter last week. Let Armstrong prove his innocence."

Every rider in the peloton should be shaking in their clipless pedals. The burden of proof is now on them to prove their innocence, not on the doping agencies to prove their guilt. Everyone of those Euro apologists who thought Americans were just looking for witch hunts and conspiracies should now apologise - unless of course they don't believe in the adage that you are innocent until proven guilty. While these organisations are pronouncing their moral authority to police the sport, they are actually ethically bankrupt. Disgusting.

Sean Jones

Trinidad and Tobago
Wednesday, September 28, 2005

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Tom Danielson

In last week's letter Tom Arsenault questioned why so many assume that Tom Danielson will ultimately be chosen to lead Discovery in the Tour.

According to Mr. Arsenault, Danielson is already too "old" at the age of 27 to be the future of anything. Nonsense - should Tom D be ready for the leadership role in a couple of years, he will be in his prime. Discovery could still get several spotlight years from a Tour rider of this age.

Also cited is the fact that Tom D must prove himself in a three week race, yet the recent number eight spot in the Tour of Spain is dismissed as if it amounted to nothing. Come on. If you actually followed this race on a daily basis, you would realise that this was an amazing accomplishment, and this in his first complete three week race. The final TT was the fastest in Grand Tour history, in which Danielson placed ninth, only 48 seconds off the winning pace. The mountaintop finish to Pajares in the foul weather was one for the ages - epic in every sense of the word. Tom finished ahead of then race leader Menchov in this critical stage. Tom fought through stomach problems in the days immediately preceding the critical mountain stages. By his own admission, he never really went full throttle in any of the mountain stages for fear of having nothing in the tank the following day. Discovery only finished with four riders, so obviously this was a brutal race. This was a learning experience and test for Tom, and I have to believe that Discovery felt he passed with flying colours. More importantly, based on Tom's interviews, it would appear that this was a huge boost to his morale. I am not privy to his thoughts, but from the tone of his comments you get the impression that he is starting to believe he can win The Big One.

Lastly, there is more than just rider ability to consider when discussing leadership in the Tour for Discovery. Let's not forget economics. This is not only a sport, but a business proposition for these sponsors. Does anyone honestly think that Discovery will get a better return from their marketing dollars on a rider like Popo or Il Falco, rather than an American rider like Tom Danielson? My guess is that it will be Il Falco for the Giro next year, and Popo will lead in France with Danielson in support. In '07 it will be Danielson's show.

Eric Bowen

San Diego , CA
Wednesday, September 28, 2005

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What has happened to American Cycling?

Dear editor,

Where were Floyd, Levi, Bobby and George on Sunday? In a year when an American cyclist won the Tour de France for the seventh time, and three Americans finished in the top 10, America's top cyclists are MIA?

The American team lineup for the worlds leaves me scratching my head. Thank goodness, at least Freddie Rodriquez raced. Otherwise there were six domestiques and John Lieswyn in his last race. All due respect to John, whom I have admired for years, but what business did he have racing for the rainbow jersey if it was his last ride before retirement?

I don't blame the guys that rode. Good for them. But what has happened to American cycling when our best won't race for the world championship? I'm sure America's best are tired from a long season, but so is everyone else in the peloton. Racing the worlds is a matter of national pride.

John M. Spidaliere

Lancaster, Pa.
Monday, September 26, 2005

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Quote of the year

Lance may have doped somewhere along the way in his impressive Tour record. So what!! I'm anti doping for sure and not a Lance fan at all but give the man a break, folks! Let's not forget that Merckx doped AND got busted, yet he is still considered by many to be the world's greatest ever rider, so why come down on LA? Get over it, get off the computer, get out on the road. Let your legs do the talking.

Karl Butler
Thursday, September 29, 2005

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At the heart of the matter

I believe at the heart of the Armstrong affair lies a drastic difference in cultural beliefs: Does the burden of proof fall on the accuser or the accused? From a recent Cyclingnews news item:

"If Lance Armstrong wants a counter-expertise, he can get it," Laurent added. "There is enough urine left for such an investigation: We have communicated this to the UCI in a letter last week. Let Armstrong prove his innocence. "

Having been raised in the USA, the idea of the accused having to prove their innocence is antithetical to my cultural beliefs. However, it seems, the French have a different view on the matter. I will not waste time arguing for my view or against theirs. Suffice to point out, as few have, that this difference exists and its consequences dear.

The chasm created by these opposing beliefs is deep. We now have a schism within the international cycling community: pointing fingers, accusations, denials, counteraccusations. It has reached the point where the name "Lance Armstrong" is hardly mentioned in the numerous articles covering the latest divisive spew spilling forth from official mouths. With each new declaration in this ongoing fracas, the governing structure of international cycling is weakened and the credibility of the sport we know and love is further compromised.

So what can be done? The varying factions with the international cycling community need to drop their petty political motivations particular to this case and come together for a major meeting. Sitting around an ornate table dressed with caviar and power bars, they need to decide what the standard for justice should be. No doubt such an endeavor would be a long, painful process requiring the representatives to make a true assessment of their values relative to the sport of cycling. But, as long as the end goal is kept in sight, such a assessment and the resulting debate would be very beneficial.

Once the vote has been taken and the standard of justice decided, all sides must then adhere to it. Far more than that...they should embrace it! For, if they are to be united in their purpose to cherish, support and promote cycling as a sport, then the governing body must be united in their governing processes of the same. The governing body of cycling (with its myriad components), must be, to the highest degree possible, beyond reproach in its governing of cycling.

This latest saga has become a shameful display of petty bickering among disparate factions, one group being played off the other for political gain. Are any of the individuals involved wise enough to recognize this fundamental problem and do what needs to be done to repair it? Time will tell...

Jim Strange

Carson City, Nevada, USA
Monday, September 26, 2005

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Lance's EPO tests

Dear Cyclingnews,

I can't understand why anyone thinks that urine that had been frozen since 1999 would give a reliable test.

I don't know anyone who would eat food that had been in the freezer since 1999. Even if it was theoretically healthy you would expect it to be "off" or to taste strange.

But if Dick Pound tells us that Lance's pee tastes normal, I'll take his word for it.

Cheers

Iain Thorpe

Kelburn, Wellington
Tuesday, September 27, 2005

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Doping control

When you are pulled up at the side of the road for a "breath test" you don't get to sit around until you are ready to give the sample.

Yesterday Tom Boonen was in and out of anti doping in minutes. The others were as long as one hour and 45 minutes. When is the UCI going to get back to basics by setting/imposing a time limit for the sample to be given?

The press is well able to interview outside anti doping if a time limit of 30 minutes was imposed. If the body absorbs alcohol at a certain rate then I am sure other substances also are dispersed. Let's start the "new era" with Pat McQuaid getting a grip on this area of concern to members of the public (all those not racing the bike).

Skippy McCarthy
Monday, September 26, 2005

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On Pound and the like

As a Canadian watching Ben Johnson get screwed in the drug scandal of 1988, I was pleased that Dick Pound stood up for him (even with his obvious guilt), with insightful comments on the politics of sports and how powerful nations are able to sweep positive drug tests under the rug. Now I think Dick Pound is on a personal crusade to take down a top athlete from a "power" nation like the USA, and is embarrassing himself and others that once supported him. I don't like Armstrong, but he certainly deserves unbiased and due process, and Pound is not affording him that.

Rob Found,

Jasper, Canada
Monday, September 26, 2005

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Pound Ill informed

Dr. Jennings:

You're point is very well taken - as indicated in Cyclingnews' story on the problems of the EPO test. Further, as you note, Dick Pound's obsession with getting Armstrong has harmed the goal of ridding cycling (and other sports) of performance enhancing drugs. For example, his explanations for the testing of the 1998 and 1999 Tour samples are clearly very poor "cover" stories. Specifically, he has claimed that the purposes of the tests were: (1) to see if cyclists changed their behavior after EPO testing became available in 2001 and (2) to enable the lab's to refine the EPO test.

The first explanation is a non-issue - of course athletes changed their behavior after an EPO test was available - and one can clearly see this by comparing the 1998 Tour EPO scandal with the few positive EPO results in more recent years. There is no need to test the 1998 and 1999 samples to prove the obvious.

The second explanation is also nonsense - there is no way to refine the EPO test when the lab does not know the actual rate of EPO usage. If the actual positive and negative samples are not known, there is no way to know whether the test is generating false positives, false negatives, true positives, or true negatives.

It is also obvious that Pound knows that his stories are not holding-up. He continues to exhort everyone to ignore the process violations and focus on the "truth" about Armstong's use of EPO - but, because of the process violations (and the lack of A samples), it is impossible to know the "truth." The truly sad part about this is that the chances of having retrospective testing have been greatly diminished by Pound's actions . With WADA's apparent disregard for due process, it's hard to see why anyone would agree to having their reputation ruined by bureaucrats with "axes to grind."

Patrick J. Wilkie
Monday, September 26, 2005

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Verbruggen is wrong

It's Philip Higgs that could be wrong. The journalist in question claimed that he was investigating whether the rumors that Armstrong was allowed to use drugs related to his cancer therapy were true. It's my understanding that a rider's medical dossier would contain that type of systemic information as well as his baseline hematocrit level and so forth. Lance Armstrong's use of the corticosteroid cream for his saddle sore was already a well established fact that warranted no additional investigation. The medical certificate produced by US Postal was essentially a prescription, and the local use of certain medications would normally not be part of a rider's dossier anymore than would be a record of Roberto Heras's injury or 15 stitches. That is the context for Verbruggen's statement about Lance and medications.

I am also not aware that the use of any steroid cream can result in an increase in an athlete's performance. It's purpose is to allow the rider to regain his pre-injury performance level as quickly as possible by lowering recovery time. Common sense should prevail here, as was clearly NOT the case when Jonathan Vaughters was not allowed to use a similar cream to combat his allergic reaction to a bee sting and therefore had to abandon the 2001 Tour on stage 15. Resurrecting the 1999 steroid cream issue weakens Philip's closing argument and makes him appear to be a soul mate of those irrational France2 anti-Lance bloggers.

It's one thing for a reporter to try to honestly investigate a rider, but quite another thing for him to make false claims in pursuit of that goal. By his own admission he was responding to what he characterised as Lance's challenge to his critics to prove that he doped. So the principle is established: smear a rider incessantly with allegations which he cannot disprove until in frustration he throws down a gauntlet that is immediately interpreted as a license to lie and cheat in order to discover the "truth." And how does Lance manage to win without EPO from 2001 to 2005? But of course the bloggers have had the answer all along: didn't you know that Postal/Discovery/CSC/Liberty have unlimited access to top-secret American laboratories that produce undetectable super performance drugs which explains why their clean French riders can't compete. And, besides, Lance is a friend of George Bush! And, anyway, it's up to Lance to prove that he is innocent! Vive la France! (ps - How do the Aussies do it?)

Dave Johnson

Sykesville , MD
Thursday, September 29, 2005

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Doping and apparel

I know we all need to keep a sense of humour and not take things so seriously in our everyday lives. What I start taking exception to is a company that starts using the names of banned substances to name their apparel items. Specifically - Giordana and their new "Nandrolone" jacket. I am no stranger to merchandising and product development. Usually the merchandising team will pick a name that will offer some insight into the expectations of a product or one that caters to a specific desire of the consumer. But "Nandrolone"?

If drug use is so rampant in the peloton and the industry is trying to promote a clean and health image then why would a manufacturer use the name of a banned substance to promote a new item? Food for thought…

Jeffrey Ishmae

Southern California
Wednesday, September 28, 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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