Letters to Cyclingnews - December 16, 2005

The chickens have come home to roost

The chickens have come home to roost.

Actually the rift between the UCI and the Big Tours is no surprise to the watchful eye of the cycling enthusiast. After a year of more or less "live and let live", side-by-side cycling calendar we were somehow lulled into a false sense of peace. Here and there we had the surprise of little news bits but on the surface the big waves seemed smoothed over.

However there has been a malicious war fought below the surface and some ripples were felt by the public at large as well. And one of these ripples seemed to have washed over the cycling world without being recognized for what it was.

Lance Armstrong's so called "doping proof" in "L'Equipe" is nothing more than the attempt of Tour de France organizers to torpedo the Armstrong-UCI battle fleet. Lance providing funds to the UCI for doping test equipment and other Armstrong-overtures towards the international governing body are not well-perceived by the French organizer. A strong Lance-UCI front (with the 7-time champ as spokesperson) was too powerful for them.

They

a) Felt "betrayed" that Lance was superior to everyone else and was able to retire unbeaten on the road, in the courtroom, in the public opinion and in the media, and

b) Felt curtailed in their power since the number of teams that ASO would have been able to invite to the Tour was reduced (e.g. more teams allowed to race based on their Protour performance).

The root of all of this? Money! Big fat sums of cash going over (and even sometimes under) the negotiating table. Power and money are the driving factor behind the recent events…ASO and their counterparts in Italy and Spain should keep in mind that true blue cycling fans are not stupid.

Of course that's just my opinion; I could still be jet-lagged.

L Schoux

Luxembourg
Monday, December 12, 2005

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McQuaid and the UCI

Dear Cyclingnews.com

As one who brings together potential sponsors and professional cycling teams, I couldn't even bring myself to finish reading Mr. McQuaid's interview on Cyclingnews.

It seems that Mr McQuaid has taken up where Mr Verbruggen has left off: delusional. If he thinks, for an instant, that there are sponsors lined up who are willing to plunk down ProTour team money, then he ought to have lunch with a certain Sg. Ferretti, who just might let him in on reality.

There are, however - or should I say, "were," before the ProTour - a number of potential sponsors who were willing to get into the pro cycling game for one tenth of that price at the old Div II level, knowing that their team would get a chance to compete against the big boys at some 1.1 or HC races and get some television time. Some of these sponsors actually went on to become Div I sponsors. Imagine that. Many of these smaller teams were breeding grounds for great cyclists. Now their budgets are ever shrinking as the sickly ProTour behemoth demands more and more money and essentially keeps the smaller teams off the television screen.

McQuaid invokes the Eritrean and Sudanese cyclists he has just visited, labelling ASO, Unipublic and RCS as obscene for offering the pro teams millions to compete in Grand Tours, and then in the same instance says cycling needs to compete with Champions' League football. Earth to McQuaid: while we ought to support indigenous cyclists in any way we can, and while I don't mean to be crass, they are not the future of professional cycling. The same excuse was thrown up when the great and powerful UCI imposed severe restrictions on equipment to allow the developing nations to catch up. And you want to compete with Champions League and F1? Even with Bernie Ecclestone's megalomania running amok, F1 makes the UCI and the ProTour appear to be bedridden. Perhaps F1 should limit car speeds to 80 kph to get the Third World more involved in motor racing. Right.

If Mr McQuaid really is interested in cycling's developing nations, he ought to start looking at the salaries and budgets of some of the non-Pro Tour teams registered with the UCI in the heart of cycling country. The situation was really anaemic enough without the UCI running a stake through the heart of many of the smaller teams.

I could go on, but I'm already exasperated. And I haven't even mentioned the difficulty of selling a corporation on a four year, 40 million euro commitment in a sport where drug stories are as common as pave in the Arenburg. The UCI doesn't seem to realise that the reward is not nearly as great as the risk of a drug bust to a corporation's identity and the loss of tens of millions in brand equity.

Wake up Mr McQuaid, before you bury pro cycling completely.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005

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UCI vs Grand Tour organisers

Perhaps these shallow ankle biters should look across the pond and recall the lessons learned from the CART versus Indy Car debacle. Motor racing now has two major classifications, Formula One and NASCAR. Gone are the world class open wheel events that brought together the best drivers and equipment in the world. Left in its place is a second-rate league with second-rate drivers and inferior equipment.

A Pro Tour without major events is a joke. So too would be a Grand tour event without the top riders and teams. With doping problems threatening the public's interest in the sport, the cycling powers that be should be circling the wagons and making plans to protect and grow the fan base. Don't give us an Indy Car Series of cycling.

John Epperson
Friday, December 9, 2005

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At least they have something in common

At least they have something in common!

I think that people are overlooking a spot of hope in the recent Grand Tour/UCI scuffle.

"They [the Grand Tour organisers] claimed that they couldn't enter the ProTour because they said it was run like an American-style system. Yet is there anything more American than what they have just done, putting a load of dollars on the table to buy the teams' participation?" - Pat McQuaid

At least they can all get together that the Americans are evil. That's why we love Europe; quaint little place that it is, always bringing a smile to your face.

Pat Walker

USA
Monday, December 12, 2005

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Back to the seventies

So Pat McQuaid said the tour organisers want to put cycling back in time. Hmmm...seems like a statement similar to those put forth when the UCI started restricting bike dimensions, weights etc. Maybe they're made for each other.

Seth McDonough

Ukiah, CA
Wednesday, December 14, 2005

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Basso at Giro 2006

Ivan Basso is a smart rider who has excelled at the top level of competition over the last two seasons by performing within his limits. He doesn't seem to be the kind to take a lot of risks. But in riding the Giro as well as the Tour next year, I think he is really gambling. Basso has never won a grand tour, yet the prospect of winning two in 2006 is tantalizing.

The 2006 Tour looks to favour Jan Ullrich with the elimination of the team time trial and the extra kilometres of individual time trial. If Basso really wants to win the 2006 Tour, he may need Armstrong-like focus on that single objective. On the other hand, Ullrich doesn't appear to be capable of climbing like he did in the 90's and may lose enough time in the mountains that he can't beat Basso even with the advantage of additional kilometres of individual the time trial.

The 2006 Giro is heavy on climbing. Perhaps Basso should focus on trying to win the 2006 Giro (with a possible bonus of shaking Ullrich's confidence if he chooses the Giro over the Tour de Suisse) and take no expectations into the 2006 Tour. If he can get a grand tour victory under his belt in the 2006 Giro, he might be in a better position to focus on winning the 2007 Tour. What fun! The races are still months away, but the jockeying has already begun.

David Sprawls
Friday, December 9, 2005

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Cycling is best at what it does

Since 1998 cycling has gotten a bad rap. I listen and read about how ripe our sport is with cheats and dopers. A sport I have loved since Greg Lemond's eight-second Tour de France win in 1989. I've listened to so-called fans scream about how they are done with cycling forever. To all of you I say…GOOD! Be gone with you. You don't see the forest for the trees anyway.

Fair weather fans say cycling is ripe with doping. I say cycling is doing the most to counter doping than any other sport in history! How else could you explain the number of dopers caught? Imagine if football (American or European) ran as many tests on their athletes as we do. IMAGINE THAT! We would have more FIFA and NFL players out of work than you could ever imagine. There would be lines at the homeless shelter; so many athletes would be out of work. My point is that they do not test as thoroughly as cycling does so no one is ever caught. Not even close. They don't want to know. Maybe they are right to want to be ignorant because their sports are as popular as ever. Cycling is destroying itself from the inside out trying to find the cheaters.

I'm a proud fan of cycling - all you fair weather fans can get out as far as I'm concerned and leave cycling to the real fans.

Ciao,

Warren Beckford

Bloomfield, CT, USA
Wednesday, December 14, 2005

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Dope so you can

In his letter of December 7 Mr Ward states: "There is no inherent skill that needs to be performed [in bike racing] other than you have to ride your bike harder than everyone else." I disagree with that. Bike handling skills and tactical prowess are subtle, complex skills which require thousands of hours of practice to master, just like a foul shot, or the ability to run, jump and make quick changes of direction in football, basketball, etc.

The ability to win a sprint by fighting for perfect position while cruising along at 40mph and making a lightning quick decision with a simultaneous burst of speed and change of direction to hit the front at just the right time and place certainly requires at least as much agility, dexterity, or skill as any critical manoeuvre in a ball sport. This is only one of many discrete skill sets that bike racers must master; as in any other sport, each rider plays a slightly different "position", and must learn a different range and intensity of skills. Have you ever checked out the domestiques slipping through the caravan with a dozen or more water bottles stashed in pockets and hanging from their neck? How about the constant feints and probing attacks of the lead group at the finale of a classic one day race - I can guarantee you that the guy that just rides his bike harder than anyone else will be chillin' in the feed zone about halfway through a 260km classic.

In my opinion, doping in sports is a product of our society - highly competitive, mechanised, medicated, and hypocritical. You need EPO to compete in the Tour because you use up blood cells faster than your body can replace them, and by the time that stage 15 mountaintop finish rolls around, you will not WIN if one of your rivals has an artificially enhanced oxygen carrying capacity. There is a lot of money at stake in these races, and capitalist-consumerist culture teaches us from a young age that to win at any cost is REALLY the thing that matters in this life. Also, as long as the profit motive is accepted by the masses and the elite as the dominant engine of technological and medical innovation and evolution, we are going to have an ethical crisis at the top levels of competitive sport.

But don't say that a linebacker has more skill than bike racer!

J. E. McHugh

Jamaica Plain, MA
Tuesday, December 13, 2005

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Cycling one dimensional?

Howdy,

In response to J Ward's recent letter calling referring to cycling as one dimensional:

Did you see Kyle Strait's winning run at the last Red Bull rampage?

How about the mind blowing bike handling skills of a rider like Ryan Leech?

Cycling one dimensional? Hardly. From touring to trials there are so many ways (and skills) to enjoy on our bikes. Maybe it's our outlook on the sport that's one dimensional?

Get out and ride!

TJ Walker

MTL, Quebec
Monday, December 12, 2005

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Don't accuse every top athlete

According to some letters over the last few months, Lance Armstrong is viewed as some sort of 'performance-enhancing' addict, winning his first Tour with near lethal amounts of undetectable micro-dosed EPO. Then in 2000, Armstrong either designed a new form of undetectable EPO or some other wonder drug that does not show in either blood or the new urine tests.

If Armstrong were to read this I am sure he would say that his accusers have never experienced how hard and intense one has to train for an event as the Tour de France. The human body responds to training and desire much better than to artificial chemicals. Here are two examples. Watch the effect of the crowd on the performances in the kilo in the Athens Olympics. Did every athlete who beat his own personal record dope? Or was it rather the intense desire to excel at that moment? Or consider a favourite TT course of mine. There is a huge hill near the very end. My best time was a minute faster, climbing the steep grade in the big chainring at 40 kph! Drugs? Caffeine suppositories? Toxic chemical spill? No, a dog chased me nipping at my heels. I used the dog to trigger my adrenaline rush.

Something similar kicks in when you climb Alp du Huez and hundreds of cycling fans yell 'doper' and spit in your face. That goes well beyond the 'legs don't fail me now' pressure that we put on ourselves every race or what track pursuiters call 'first lap panic' where under the fear of being caught we sometimes put too much energy into the first lap and suffer greatly for the next 11 laps.

Cycling would be better without these types of negative accusations. After all, who can they root for since anyone who tests clean is considered a better cheater than the rest? So if David Millar returns and wins the prologue, no one should ask, 'What kind of drugs are you taking now?' True, some fans have been let down and even greatly disappointed, but it is like falling off. We roll as best as we can, then dust ourselves off and get right back on and ride. I am off to train. I would rather have written about why I think Rasmussen could take the Giro than yet still another discussion about drugs. But I hope someday soon that as we purge the dopers out of the peloton, we also purge the ill-informed accusers.

Timothy Shame

USA
Monday, December 12, 2005

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Heras and drugs

Just a couple of comments in response to Mr Rae's "dose of reality", er, negativity.

1. Heras' performance in this year's Tour de France may have nothing to do with his performance in the Vuelta. All right, he was Liberty Seguros' leader in France, but if his prime objective (whatever he or his DS said in public) was the Tour of Spain, surely he rode Le Tour as a preamble. Trying to link the two to provide possible evidence of doping is putting two and two together to get five.

2. Rounding off the names of the most successful riders in cycling and suggest they were all doping simply because they won is not helpful at all. Rest assured - if the science is there to test them retrospectively, the winners will be the first under the microscope. If it isn't, then we'll never know.

Two messages for Mr. Rae:

1. Don't expect cycling to be more or less honourable than any other field of human activity and,

2. If you're not enjoying your cycling, stop watching. Get out on your bike, breathe the air and enjoy the view.

Sean Gray

London
Friday, December 9, 2005

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Where are all of Heras' supporters?

I too admire Roberto Heras' riding skills. However, if he broke the rules then he deserves the penalties that come with the infraction. By agreeing to participate in UCI-sanctioned events, he agrees to all the rules and penalties set forth by the UCI and the Vuelta.

I have the same opinion towards Lance Armstrong or any other rider, whether they are a personal favourite or not.

Nordic Dave
Friday, December 9, 2005

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Dick Pound

The only reason Dick Pound has kept his mouth shut about the Roberto Heras case is because he is busy attacking the NHL with unfounded and ridiculous comments about doping in professional hockey. Though Dick Pound is Canadian, few in Canada paid attention when Pound was blurting out irresponsibly accusations about cycling, but now that his target is hockey, he is getting ripped to shreds in the media.

Rob Found

Jasper, Canada
Thursday, December 8, 2005

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Chasing an inevitable high

Firstly, I didn't draw a comparison between endorphins and cocaine - the two aren't related. Seratonin and norepinephrine however are the same chemical components which are released both by consuming cocaine and intense exercise. In a European culture which is much more lenient with hard drugs than our country (the USA) how can you possibly say that young cyclists in Europe should not remember Pantani's tragedy so that they do not follow in his footsteps.

A burned out teen cyclist who no longer rides is almost guaranteed a chemical imbalance due to the sudden lack of exercise. They should have his memory to guide them so they do not make his mistakes. Many wish they had his example earlier. The USA is not the only country in the world; consider the varying drug attitudes and laws of the European nations.

Konrad LeBas
Saturday, December 10, 2005

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SF Grand Prix

I was truly disappointed when I heard of the possible cancellation of the annual SF Grand Prix. What an inspiration these professional cyclists are and have been to our Bayside community, and what a better place to have this organized race than in the most beautiful City I know of, and where I have left my heart, San Francisco.

I wish to write support for the SF Grand Prix as a way to help encourage and inspire others to the healthy sport of cycling. In this day and age of computer technology, more and more children are sitting inside their homes on Playstations or other games, becoming obese. I grew up in the '50s and '60s and basically the only entertainment was to get outside and play, or work, helping parents with chores around the house. I started riding bikes in the 2nd and 3rd grades, but earlier I did have a tricycle, as I recall and as I have also seen in early pictures.

This is one way we can get more children (and adults) outside, and prevent chronic disease, promoting the activity of cycling, and a healthy activity, at that!

Thank you for your attention to this letter, and I hope this will provide more support to the idea and continuation of the SF Grand Prix.

Debra Martin - avid roadie and indoor cycling enthusiast
Saturday, December 10, 2005

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Recent letters pages

Letters 2005

• December 9: Basso at Giro 2006, Heras EPO test procedure, The Heras case, Where are all of Heras' supporters?, Heras and drugs, Do you have to ask why?, Dope so you can, Global doping, The burden of proof, Chasing an inevitable high, EPO, Colorado State Patrol, SFGP - Bring it back!
• December 2: Heras EPO test procedure, Heras - three times lucky, The Heras case, Another profile in disappointment, SFGP - Bring it back!, San Francisco Grand Prix, San Francisco GP, Tyler Hamilton, Chasing an inevitable high, Circumstantial evidence, The burden of proof, Global Doping, Graeme Obree, Moron or marketing genius, Exciting again
• November 25: San Francisco GP, San Fran Grand Prix, San Fran GP, San Francisco city supervisor responds, A tale of two cities, Tyler Hamilton - UCI leaks, Wire in the blood part II, Tyler Hamilton, Hamilton wait time, Heras - three times lucky?, What is the UCI doing?, Exciting again, Le Tour will live on without Armstrong, Moron or marketing genius, A modest proposal, Weekend club racing world championships
• November 18: Heras - three times lucky?, What is the UCI doing?, Exciting again, 2006 Tour de France, Positive urine EPO tests, Le Tour will live on without Armstrong, LeBlanc's Tour snub of Armstrong, Tour of Southland, Schlimmer response, Exercise-induced asthma
• November 11: LeBlanc's Tour snub of Armstrong, Exciting again, Le Tour will live on without Armstrong, Armstrong, the TdF, etc, The 2006 Tour de France and Lance, Lance, Le Tour and Ethics, Armstrong snub at Tour presentation, Pro wrestling and cycling, Swimming and Cycling, What TdF?, Fair justice, Another doping letter, Where has common sense gone?, Technology in cycling, Schlimmer
• November 4: LeBlanc's Tour snub of Armstrong, The 2006 Tour de France and Lance, Le Tour de malcontent, Tour de France 2006, What TdF?, Le Tour wounded, Gossip ruins cycling, EPO, Exercise-induced asthma, Dick Pound and soccer, Tour of US, Tour of California, Swimming and Cycling
• October 28: Le Tour de Malcontent, LeBlanc's Tour snub of Armstrong, Caution needed, TdF 2006, Has cycling become a honky tonk sport?, Tristan Hoffman, UN effort to fight doping in sport, UCI ProTour, Cam Jennings, Exercise-induced asthma, Chris Sheppard is a class act, Why?, Crocodile Trophy - worlds' toughest race?
• October 14: Infallible doping tests?, Get on with your life, Doping. What else?, Pound versus Armstrong, Hamilton, etc, L'Equipe forgot - or not, John Lieswyn, Eddy Merckx
• October 7: John Lieswyn, Bravo, Lieswyn, 1999 Tour de France urine samples, Allan Butler, Tyler Hamilton, Doping versus biomechanical enhancements, Doping control, McQuaid's image, Comment on Chris Horner at Zuri Metzgete, Scientific proof, Thank goodness Moreno lost, What has happened to American Cycling?, Pound versus Armstrong, Hamilton, etc, French bias
• September 30: Petacchi and McEwen's reactions, Ale-Jet, Ale-Jet blasts his critics..., Petacchi's class, Petacchi, Bravo, Lieswyn, French bias, Tom Danielson, What has happened to American Cycling?, Quote of the year, At the heart of the matter, Lance's EPO tests, Doping control, On Pound and the like, Pound Ill informed, Verbruggen is wrong, Doping and apparel
• September 23: A quick thanks, Australian worlds team, Go Mick!, Infighting, Pound Ill informed, WADA mess, Heras and the Giro, Verbruggen is wrong, Chris Sheppard busted for EPO, Explaining increases in performance, Quote of the year, Vuelta rest day observations
• 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
• Letters Index – The complete index to every letters page on cyclingnews.com