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Letters to Cyclingnews - August 25, 2006
Here's your chance to get more involved with Cyclingnews. Comments and criticism on current stories, races, coverage and anything cycling related are welcomed, even pictures if you wish. Letters should be brief (less than 300 words), with the sender clearly identified. They may be edited for space and clarity; please stick to one topic per letter. We will normally include your name and place of residence, but not your email address unless you specify in the message.
Please email your correspondence to letters@cyclingnews.com.
Recent letters
Eneco Tour
Bring on an Hour Record
Cycling needs a dictator
Diane Modahl and Floyd Landis
Natural process still possible, likelihood uncertain
Response to 'No Doping Control is Insane'
Testing procedures must be understood and public
A German Pound?
All winners dope?
Change the things we can
Track the testing
Cycling is not flawed
Defamation lawsuit
Dick Pound
How did the testosterone get there?
Julich: "No one is able to cheat anymore"
Floyd Landis
Patrick Lefevere follow-up
Systematic doping? Where is the evidence?
Ullrich's trial by media
Unfair dismissals
Eneco Tour
The crash of George Hincapie, and the consequence of handing the lead to Stefan Schumacher, demonstrates the sort of problems that can arise in bicycle racing.
I would bet that Stefan would have felt a good deal better if the judges had found some method of awarding the win to George.
But I believe that the judges did the proper thing. It wasn't Stefan's fault that a fan caused him to veer. Neither was it George's fault that he was in the way of the swerve.
Racing sometimes leads to peculiar results and this is one of them. Stefan may have won by judgment but he and everyone else realizes that he lost on principle.
Let's hope he has more chances in the future without some overenthusiastic fan destroying his real chance.
Tom Kunich
USA
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Eneco: Sportsmanship, sponsorship, and winning
The sport of professional road cycling has been through more mud lately than any cyclocross racer would enjoy. Yesterday the sport suffered another indignity with Stefan Schumacher's hollow victory in the Eneco tour. I am curious to know what Gerolsteiner thinks about the importance of winning over sportsmanship. Schumacher certainly could have slowed his pace or even stopped to check on Hincapie. That might be an unusual precedent for cycling, but such an act of sportsmanship certainly would have been a glorious moment for Schumacher, the sport, and the sponsor. Instead, everyone involved made the motions through a dreary awards ceremony; and cycling, not George Hincapie, lost another Pro Tour race. Shame, nothing but shame.
J Barnett
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Eneco risks
Schumacher took the risk of going close to the barriers, but Hincapie paid the price. It is difficult to make a rule for such circumstances, but it would have been appropriate to set a precedent. Could Schumacher have complained? I doubt it.
Dylan Sanders
Blue Hills Cycling Club
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Eneco bad luck
First Hincapie, Gusev and Hoste in Paris-Roubaix; then Landis at the Tour; now Hincapie in Eneco -- all of the bad luck that Armstrong never had in seven years is suddenly being heaped upon the heads of his associates!
Sebastian Lecourt
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Eneco reporting
I'm not sure I understand the obvious bias in your reporting of this incident. In one of your pictures, the caption describes Hincapie on the ground "after crashing into Schumacher". What? Even if one feels Schumacher's move was justifiable, he crashed into Hincapie, not vice versa.
The author of your article also states that Schumacher "caused the crash through no fault of his own." This is rendering a biased opinion and not reporting the actual events. From what I can see, Schumacher was not put out of control by any contact with the spectator. Furthermore, his swerve to his right was far in excess of what he needed to do to avoid the fans along the barrier (look at your own pictures of his distance from the barriers at the time of the crash). In the heat of a finishing sprint it is true that one only has time to act on instinct, and not careful consideration of one's actions. Still, if those actions disregard the safety and position of other riders, they need to be penalized.
This was a bad decision on the part of the race officials, and your reporting is even worse (which is my opinion, but I'm not a journalist who ideally should be neutral in his reporting).
Mark Hsu
Dunlap, IL, USA
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Eneco - null and void?
After seeing the finish of the last stage of the Eneco Tour today, I can't help but feel sorry for poor George Hincapie. The situation was totally out of both George and Stefan Schumacher’ hands. Surely however, in this sort of situation the jury has no other option than to declare the stage ‘null and void’ as far as the GC is concerned?
Andy O’Hara,
Grave, The Netherlands
Thursday, August 24, 2006
George Hincapie, Eneco crash
I don't understand. People are saying, including George, that he was robbed of the win when Schumacher "crashed" him. I think the result is correct and Schumacher should be happy about his win. George should have been in front of Schumacher, ensuring he was in the safest place on the road. He followed wheels and did the minimum needed to win. That led to him crashing. He needs to be a more aggressive rider anyway, in all of his races.
Good job being in the right spot Schumacher!
Eric Kytola
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Eneco finish: Competition not controversy
This has been the darkest season of professional bicycle racing I have eve, it's fans along the barriers trying to slam the riders, as they fly by , towards the finish line.
The finish of the Eneco Tour was a shameful affair. Schumacher should have been disqualified for veering off of his line, within what seemed to be the final 50 meters, and causing the spill of George Hincapie, who then lost the tour because of the spill. How unsatisfying that end result is.
This after Bjarne Riis whined about damage to HIS reputation because of the allegations against Ivan Basso. Bjarne, get a grip on yourself, this ain't about you. Ivan's career is on the line, just as it was about to peak, and all poor Bjarne can do is fret about his own reputation. Well I've got a question for Bjarne: Which direction were you looking while Tyler Hamilton was allegedly loading up on drugs back in 2002-2003 according to reports about Tyler's "Diary". Maybe Bjarne knows more than we suspect, about Tyler's habits. Maybe that's why the parting of ways went so quietly when Tyler left for Phonak, Bjarne was happy to get rid of such a risk. The soap opera is endless!
No, Bicycle racing is not having a good year, by any stretch of the imagination. I think I'll sign off here and ride MY bike, instead of immersing myself any further in the melodrama.
Ralph Michael Emerson
West Hempstead, NY, USA
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Bring on an Hour Record
I would like to see anyone who is interested in attempting the hour record have a go, even Bodrogi. Gonchar seemed to be on fire. So, what are you waiting for? We could use a positive boost for our beloved sport. That also means we should have given Sosenka more credit than just a blurb or a side box in cycling magazines. Why not make some new rules to get the ball rolling. How about records for steel and carbon bikes, street/track legal and triathlon legal. Why not include the faired bike records of the IHPVA?
And what would I like to see for next year's Tour? How about a downhill mountain time trial. I also think the winner of a time trial deserves a time bonus. Every other stage winner gets time. Why should climbers, sprinters, and everyone else get time bonuses, but none for the riders who work the hardest for a half-second victory?
It seems a shame that many cycling fans ignore women's racing. Maybe if they had three major races end in disgrace, they would get the attention that they deserve.
Timothy Shame
USA
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Cycling needs a dictator
The problem with cycling today is the absence of a body that has a complete control of the sport. The UCI, which is supposed to be that body, is a lame duck in relation to ASO and the TdF, the biggest event in cycling. It cannot be denied that ASO is more influential than the UCI.
The AIGCP is also a lost body, if we listen to the words of its president, Patrick Lefevere regarding Floyd Landis. And what about the ACP and Francesco Moser? Not a whimper.
Cycling needs a body like the ones run by Sepp Blatter or F1. Cycling's situation (UCI vs ASO) is similar to the ATP vs Wimbledon a few years ago, when Wimbledon made their own seedings in violation of the ATP seedings. However, tennis woke up and look where tennis is now in terms of popularity!
JV Araneta
Cebu Cycling, Cebu City
Philippines
Friday, August 18, 2006
Diane Modahl and Floyd Landis
I would like to draw people's attention to the similarities between these two cases. Both athletes were from religious backgrounds and were found guilty by the media after the discovery of testosterone in urine samples. Modahl was able to prove that the testosterone was produced in the sample before testing by bacteria. It took two years to prove that the problem was not with the athlete but was with the lab. Diane Modahl wrote a book about this called The Diane Modahl Story published by Hodder and Stoughton.
I would like Floyd Landis and his Lawyers to read this fascinating story.
John Rudkin
UK
Friday, August 18, 2006
Natural process still possible, likelihood uncertain
Dr Marker has made some good points, but seems to have missed one glaringly obvious aspect of the case.
If there were some naturally occurring process causing the conversion of exogenous cortisone into testosterone in Floyd Landis, why did the abnormal testosterone levels show up on this one test only?
To me, it seems beyond the bounds of coincidence that a "naturally occurring" process would happen just once, precisely when needed to come back from a tour ending breakdown. Processes associated with disease or bacterial degradation of cortisone would be apparent in previous samples.
Unfortunately, the most logical answer is that there was no outside conspiracy and testosterone from an outside source was administered. My own suspicions are that testosterone patches were used to enhance recovery and someone got the technique wrong. A less likely possibility was that the testosterone was administered to Landis without his knowledge by Phonak team officials. Either way I find it hard to believe that Phonak did not play a role considering the previous history of doping in this team.
Mark Walker
Newcastle, Australia
Friday, August 18, 2006
Natural process still possible, likelihood uncertain
To follow on from Paul Marker's comments (and after all he seems eminently qualified to comment) I would like to add that I recently read of a study into failed tests for testosterone done by UK Sport, covering a 5 year period. They found that during this period, in 30 out of 45 positives it subsequently transpired that there was no case to answer. Stripping out the cases involving weight and power lifters, there was no case to answer in 24 out of 28 failures. Seems we should, as Paul says, wait and see before coming to final conclusions.
Tony Fletcher
Neath, Wales
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Natural process still possible, likelihood uncertain
I too am a scientist and although not working on biomedical research – I do consider the facts. And the fact I would considered in this situation is - if it were possible for gut bacteria or enzymes to change a glucocorticoid to androgen, wouldn't it have done this more than once (Landis was reported to have had 4 tests during the tour with only one showing large T:E differential and therefore drawing the attention of UCI).
Just a thought.
Matthew Jones
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Response to 'No Doping Control is Insane'
[Submitted in response to/conjunction with Phil Anderson's July 31st reply to - and quote from - me]
I know it's a bit of a delayed response, but I wanted to 'briefly' reply to Phil Anderson's comment, "No Doping Control is Insane", regarding my quote [which of course he takes entirely out of context]. The problem with his statement, that "[T]here is a line drawn on illegal drugs...", is that it is not only completely inaccurate, but epitomizes the 'bandwagon' (lack of) logic which is so prevalent among those who blindly ride the coattails of popular opinion - and who do not engage in original and autonomous critical thinking.
Specifically, he makes an all-too-familiar but no less erroneous association between (and thus conclusion drawn therefrom) "ILLEGAL drugs", as he [mistakenly] refers to them, and PROHIBITED substances. And the distinction, while arguably subtle, is enormous and lies at the crux of the matter. For pretermitting the soundness of limiting the ban [in the context of sports] solely to illegal "drugs", the fact of the matter is that the list or scope of banned substances in cycling [and most if not all other WADA-governed sports] is MUCH broader and encompasses hundreds of perfectly legal - and arguably innocuous - substances. To be sure, illegal drugs/substances comprise only a fraction of the "Banned Substances" list.
Thus, while a rider MIGHT be successful in securing a Therapeutic Use Exemption ("TUE") for certain banned substances, there are no doubt too many situations - such as Landis', in conjunction with his hip condition, for which he receives (otherwise) "banned" cortisone under a TUE - in which an athlete is denied a reasonable TUE request and therefore must either choose not to compete or risk being sanctioned - even when a legitimate medical condition warrants a particular drug/substance's use.
[The existence and use of TUE's is but one example of a fact of which many may be unaware; any rider or other governed sport participant can apply for and receive - ENTIRELY CONFIDENTIALLY - a TUE for ANY substance if certain criteria are met (which are outside the scope of this discussion). Therefore, it is theoretically possible for a rider to obtain, while remaining within the Rules, a TUE for ANY drug or substance, legal or not (one that fits the former category which comes to mind is marijuana; an athlete with glaucoma or cancer could conceivably be granted a TUE for its use)],
And these factors demonstrate just some of the subjectivism and 'slippery slope' issues that obscure and underlie these matters and, in my [humble but at least somewhat informed] opinion, render the utilization of "doping" rules and restrictions [or, more accurately, the testing for use/abuse of same] rather meaningless and inequitable - at least at this juncture/stage of scientific knowledge and pragmatic limitations.
Auden Grumet
USA
Monday, August 21, 2006
Testing procedures must be understood and public
Testing, how it is done, and what it means, has become part of story of sports. However, how much trust would we put in the results of a sports event if part of it was secret?
What if the NFL had secret rules, or relied on non-public information to call a game?
Yet months after a very well publicized test result in cycling, nobody outside of a lab in Europe knows exactly how the carbon isotope ratio test was performed, how reliable it might be, and what could go wrong.
Drug testing may have been started to create a fair, public contest, but it has done so by using secret processes: exactly the real problem the tests were designed to solve.
Fairness is essential, or the public must at least be able to judge for themselves based upon public information if someone cheated or one of the judges made the wrong call.
If we want fairness, that implies that we should be able to judge it for ourselves, not take the word of a judge.
It is a time honoured tradition in sports to question the judges. How have the drug testers escaped this tradition? Its like we have finally found a truly objective group of humans which have no biases and make no mistakes so we have to leave them alone to work in secret. This is not sport, this is not even science, this is a witch hunt.
Tom Jackson
Saturday, August 19, 2006
A German Pound?
In regards to Matt Williams' letter about Prof. Franke: he is a well-known anti-doping expert and has been involved in the Ullrich case as soon as it became public. The German authorities have brought him on for his expertise. He has been a warrior against doping for a long time. Unfortunately, the news bits that are being reported about him outside of Germany are incomplete and don't paint a full picture.
Thomas Richter
Los Angeles, USA
Date: 18 Aug 2006 09:47:10 -0700
All winners dope?
I would like a sports medicine and physiology expert to answer this question:
Is it physically possible for a clean Lance Armstrong (or any human) to dominate a doped competitor such as Ullrich or Basso? Is it absolutely necessary to infer that he must have doped?
Scott Beveridge
Seattle, WA, USA
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Change the things we can
To Mike Holt regarding his letter of August 11, 2006: What makes you think it is so hard to find a transvestite in Texas?
Chuck Barrineau
Dallas, TX, USA
Friday, August 18, 2006
Track the testing
The cycling community has been totally amateur in its approach to drugs. The riders and team owners are the ones that have to control the health of each cycling professional and that needs a dedicated independent medical team. The medical team should have free rein to test whenever and for whatever they like. Only by stringent pro contracts and a professional approach to the cyclists' health will teams be able to protect themselves against drug takers and riders from false positives.
The cyclist may not have the means early on in their career to really put a history of full test results together but it is in everyone's interest to have the weekly, daily , yearly numbers available to all. Transparency is now the only way. If I was in the pro peloton today I would have all my results available immediately via an independent medical community. This is finally the sad part about Phonak's decision. I believe that the team could have avoided all their problems but lacked the will to install a truly independent professional medical infrastructure and routine.
Andrew Boyd
Zürich, Switzerland
Friday, August 18, 2006
Cycling is not flawed
Ms McBroom contradicts herself in her assessment of Floyd Landis. She says she believes he is innocent -- despite all evidence suggesting his guilt -- because her "instincts" and "gut" tell her so. She then claims she is not naive and had personal experience with the sporting/media world that showed her that "things are not always as they appear".
Since Ms McBroom does not personally know Landis, then, how can she fairly judge him based on the character she perceives only through the media and public filters? Her instincts about Landis are based on the very thing she claims is "not always as it appears". The vast majority of us do not personally know Floyd Landis enough to judge his character, and so we should all stick to the facts and actual evidence...for once. That said, I take even greater exception to her line about "cycling being flawed".
Cycling is not flawed. It is the people involved with cycling that are flawed.
Rob Found
Jasper, Canada
Friday, August 18, 2006
Defamation lawsuit
Dear WADA, it’s quite exciting to see Mr. Pound named in a defamation lawsuit. While I'm all for “a level playing field’, the head of your organization deserves to be prosecuted for his behaviour and is ,quite unfortunately, not helping the problem of stopping doping in sports. He IS, in fact, part of the problem and until he steps aside – or decides to keep his giant mouth closed –the organization called WADA will be swimming upstream in a big river.
His contentious attitude and shoot from the hip style only hurt all the world's sporting organizations coming together to fight doping. Funding for WADA - the Dick Pound Agency should be stopped until he removes himself from the spotlight -which he seems to need to feed his insatiable ego..Do something positive –at the very least –find a new spokesperson for the organization.
Craig Antonides, athlete and sports fan
Friday, August 18, 2006
Dick Pound
Come on boys. What else can Dick Pound and WADA do? Festina, Pantani, Hamilton, Heras, Landis, Botero, Perez, Basso, Ullrich, Saiz, Pevenage et al. Their excuses are all so laughable, weird, strange, childish, cupid and stupid. The independent labs run by scientists are doing the talking. Pound can only respond in kind to the athletes. And he is not only talking cycling. He's already stated that fully one third of National Hockey League players take some form or other of drugs. Same probably applies to the National Football League, as recently stated by a man who apparently knows something about the matter, Lance Armstrong. And baseball, and athletics, and soccer and whatever.
So just lay off Dick and let him do his job.
Jean Boisjoli
Québec, Canada
Monday, August 21, 2006
How did the testosterone get there?
Testosterone does not have to be administered by trans-dermal patch or injection. I was prescribed a testosterone cream (aka "the clear") to bring my level to normal. Anything like a massage cream could be spiked with it.
Michael Baumgardner
Harrisburg, NC, USA
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Julich: "No one is able to cheat anymore"
Orval Hart writes: "Who does (Julich) think he is fooling?" Julich was in fact quoted out of context by a cyclingnews.com headline writer. Very unimpressive writing that twists the meaning of Julich's comments. Read the fifth paragraph of the news story in question: "(Julich) said it's a confusing time for all cyclists and athletes, but the athletes must recognise the tests are getting better, and calls for tests that are '100 percent waterproof where there is no second-guessing', 'where no-one is able to cheat anymore'."
Sylvan Smyth
Victoria, B.C., Canada
Friday, August 18, 2006
Floyd Landis
I am curious why Floyd does not hire a world respected polygraph expert and have him conduct an examination. If I was Floyd and clean that would be my first response.
John Epperson
USA
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Patrick Lefevere follow-up
A few friends have pointed out to me that my letter (Letters to Cyclingnews - August 11, 2006, part 1), as composed and sent to cyclingnews.com doesn't clearly presume Landis is innocent. That was an error in haste on my part. Given the main point of my letter, that the drug testing procedures and agencies wouldn't stand up to American-style legal proceedings, it would be hypocritical to suggest that Floyd should be presumed guilty at this point. I apologize to your readers, your staff and to the Landis camp for my error.
To be perfectly clear: I have not made up my mind about Floyd's innocence--I meant, but failed, to clearly phrase my letter in manner consistent with my opinion: from what we know, Floyd's test result may be the result of something he did or something someone did to him, with or without his knowledge.
I will be disappointed if it is eventually revealed that Floyd knowingly doped.
I am ALREADY disappointed in the choice forced on riders regarding testosterone: in the absence of routine isotope mass ratio testing, one can either take testosterone/epitestosterone in equal measure, or quietly hope he is not unfairly beaten by those who do.
Brian Clement
Portland, Oregon, USA
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Systematic doping? Where is the evidence?
First there was 1998, then Operacion Puerto in 2006, and, what, a (relatively) few individual busts (Rumsas, Millar etc) and positives in between. Hardly evidence that supports the claim (most notably by Dick Pound) that every rider in the pro peloton is doped. One can surmise the following: either a) the authorities (UCI, WADA, customs, police, IOC, whoever) have not been testing, investigating, raiding and searching with any efficacy, b) the thousands of people that make up the entire pro-cycling world, from high level amateurs, junior development, stagiaires, continental and Pro-tour riders, their doctors, pharmacists, directeurs sportif and soigneurs are successfully eluding any such investigations, or c), most plausibly, it just isn't going on, at least not at a systemic level. To think otherwise is to attribute monumental and systematic incompetence, or to believe in conspiracy theories.
I don't deny that the expertise to elude drug tests is out there, and that, given that in many tests the line between ‘positive’ and negative is a few percentage points, more use of doping goes on than is revealed in positive tests. That is not the same as asserting that the entire sport is bad.
Andrew Shaw
Melbourne, Australia
Friday, August 18, 2006
Ullrich's trial by media
Since 30 June, 53 days ago, I have read numerous press reports which get more exaggerated by each journalist, on the guilt of 58 riders following a police investigation in Spain. This investigation apparently has also implicated other pro cyclists, athletes from tennis, football and athletics who have not been named by the press, yes the press, not national associations!
But you would think only one rider is implicated; Jan Ullrich is being hounded by the media. As far as I can tell from the facts he was removed from the TdF, a decision taken by all the ProTour teams and remains suspended with no charges against him. (One fact not reported very often, he has been tested 11 times this year, in and out of competition and has no positive results.) Ullrich, his lawyers and Swiss Cycling Federation have been waiting for a 'dossier' from the UCI to clarify any charges. The Swiss Federation received the dossier on 14 August but has ruled they cannot use the documents forwarded by the UCI as they are not legally certified and are now asking for the original Spanish report causing a further delay. Ullrich and 57 other riders have been suspended since 30 June with no charges against them, except the speculation of a manic media. Imagine you where in this situation, I don't think you would think this is fair and not very good for your sanity. I ask journalists to do their job, stop speculating and demand the UCI to clarify what the charges are and not leave these riders in this horrendous state of limbo.
If and when the UCI and national federations clear riders I hope the media will be just as quick to accept these decisions as they are to condemn?
Victoria Fox
England
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Unfair dismissals
The pending court cases will be a lawyers' benefit, but I'm surprised that none of them has questioned events of Friday 30th June when, says Spanish magazine 'Ciclismo a fondo', ProTour teams held a meeting re. the Guardia Civil summary of Operacion Puerto. This fairly long document was in Spanish, of course, and it was read out and rapidly translated by Discovery Channel's d.p.,Johan Bruyneel! Why? Could ASO, UCI and team officials not find a qualified legal translator? In Strasbourg? The city must be awash in translators.
Johan speaks several languages extremely well but, so far as I know, he is not a licensed translator. Fluency in languages does not guarantee a pass in the translator's exams! Now, I don't know how much time Johan was given to study the document, and I'm not saying that he mistranslated (probably not) but that's not the point. The point is that, after the meeting, Basso, Ullrich, Sevilla and Mancebo were sentenced to instant dismissal; their careers and reputations in rags - on the strength of a rapid reading and ad hoc translation! Unless there's a lot more that the press hasn't told us, why does no lawyer denounce this as unjust?
Liz Cochrane
Malaga, Spain
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Recent letters pages
Letters 2006
- August 18, part 1: Natural process still possible - likelihood uncertain, Denial, Dick Pound, Oscar Pereiro, UCI - Pro Tour drug solution?, The problem with legalising doping, Changing the rules won't stop cheating, Scandal reduces respect, Blood tests, Corruption, A couple of questions, A couple of questions, A German Pound?, According to WADA: Who isn't doping?, Collect samples every day from everyone, Corruption in the system
- August 18, part 2: Does the dope fit the crime?, Doping and the death of pro cycling, Change the things we can, Doping, Landis, tests, Dufaux?, Floyd, dope, and cycling, Floyd's only way out, It's the jersey, Julich: "No one is able to cheat anymore", Landis affair, Landis and faulty test equipment, Landis and what he leaves behind, Lefevere, Phonak, and cycling's future, Stand by Our Man Landis, Only one positive, How did the testosterone get there?, Patrick Lefevere, Please help with these questions, Case thrown out, Stage 17 bad tactics or dope?, What were the actual results?, Wouldn't it be great, Zero tolerance
- August 11, part 1: Patrick Lefevere, "The media knew before I did", A couple of questions , Distribute the testing, A possible scenario for Landis, A real Tour, Anti-doping transparency, Anyone hear Jack Nicholson?, Are we fighting doping or not?, Bad for cycling - are you kidding?, Best way to deal with doping, Can some one please tell me... , Case thrown out, CIR and T/E tests, Collect samples every day from everyone, Complaining about drugs in cycling, Corruption in the system
- August 11, part 2: Cycling's reputation, Distortions in the Landis case, Does the dope fit the crime?, Doping, Doping in general, Doping, Landis, tests, Doping - the whole sorry mess, Drug testing for cyclists, Drugs & the Tour Down Under, Enough already!, Flawed process?, Only one positive, Unrealistic expectations
- August 11, part 3: Floyd Landis Affair, Floyd, dope, and cycling, Robbie Ventura, Hoping Floyd soon shows HIS evidence, I will prove it, Is this true (and if so, what's its import)?, Landis, Landis and Merckx, Legal black hole, Media circus, Operacion Puerto Victims, Pat McQuaid and doping... , Penalize teams, organizations
- August 11, part 4: Players, Post race reunion, Robbie Ventura, Solutions are there, Stage 17 Bad Tactics or dope?, T-E testing and Oscar Pereiro, Testosterone cheating, Testosterone Gremlins, The "System", doping, and so on, Who do you believe?, Time to level the playing field, UCI - Pro Tour Drug Solution?, Ullrich, Why process matters, Worse than VDB, Wouldn't it be Great!
- August 4, part 1: I will prove it, Doping, Landis, tests, Why process matters, Robbie Ventura, Rubbish!, Leadership & cleansing, 21st Stage, A few minor thoughts, Stage 17 water consumption, Was it a recovery prep?, Anti-doping transparency, Bad for cycling - are you kidding?, Best way to deal with doping
- August 4, part 2: Case thrown out, Center podium, Collect samples every day from everyone, Complaining about drugs in cycling, Confidence in the testing system, Courage off the bike, Who is Cowboy (2003)?, Crime and punishment, Nothing without the cyclists!, Davis and four others, Does the dope fit the crime?, Doping & money, Doping in cycling, An examination, Drug testing for cyclists, From a fellow pro, In Floyd ..., Do the right thing, Floyd's steroids, Grow Up and Get Real!, Future of testing, Idea for a clean Tour, Landis vs Periero TT, I'm done with cycling, I'm retired as a fan of the pros, Feel like a fool, I'm so disappointed
- August 4, part 3: Team management & doctors, It appears the dope does fit the Crime..., It was the whiskey, It's all a sham, It's everywhere., Nothing is conclusive, Worse than VDB, Cycling needs our support, Of all the tests…, Doesn't add up, Test timing, Players, Legal black hole, B-sample & Marco Pinotti, Landis is guilty of something, Former Phan, Landis Ordeal, Landis Situation, Landis, drugs and cycling, Landis: lab accreditation, The question, Laughingstock, Lawyers in tow, Leaks, Learn from NASCAR, Letter to Editor
- August 4, part 4: Losing hope against the dope..., Mitigating factor, No doping control is insane, One toke over the line, Keystone Cops, Operacion Puerto Victims, Raise the stakes, Something not right, Exhuming McCarthy, Testerone testing, Testing procedure, Landis has been caught, The Jack Daniels defense, The Landis Situation, French testing: a leaky boat, What a positive A sample means, The sieve called doping control, Time to level the playing field, US Perspective, WADA, UCI ruining sport, What about Pereiro?, What's the hold up?, Who's watching the henhouse?
- July 31, part 1: I will prove it, Stop the complaining, Public perception, The process - flawed?, Courage off the bike, Dallas on wheels, Surely not, Sick & insulted, Mitigating factor for Landis, Landis... it is a shame, Landis' abnormal (supernormal) results, Travesty, Who's watching the henhouse?, Could it have been the result of the bonk?, I'm sick of this!, One toke over the line
- July 31, part 2: Why does McQuaid make a bad situation worse, Why does the UCI make a bad situation worse, How one-off testosterone helps, Why risk it? Here's why., Must be natural, Sick of hearing about doping!, Previous reading?, If Landis turns out to be doped, Cycling on trial, All that is gold does not glitter, The science on testosterone, Maybe I am a fool, Loons, Results not yet known, Surely not, Cheated
- July 31, part 3: Who to believe, A slightly inappropriate Landis defence and proposal , Gut feeling, Jaded, Landis, Latest doping allegations, Tired of the system!, Cheating or not, Hard landing for the sport if Landis issue turns sour, Another Landis comment, Why?, Elevated T levels in Landis, Crucified, Floyd Landis, What is happening to cycling?
- July 31, part 4: Testing testosterone, It was the whiskey, Does the dope fit the crime?, Results not yet known, Landis - Say it ain't so!, Doping, Landis, tests, Landis - guilty until proven innocent, T/E ratio and treatment of Floyd Landis, Bad science and a possible solution, Testosterone is a natural substance, Confidence in the testing system
- July 28: Landis - Say it ain't so!, Surely not, The science on testosterone, Results not yet known, Jaded, Leave Landis ALONE!, "Everybody cheats.", Fairness of testing, Crucified, Who to believe?, Landis doping, The A and B test., Why does McQuaid make a bad situation worse?
- July 21, part 2: Legalising doping, Full transparency, Basso and DNA, Doping, lawyers, and Basso, Ullrich's Innocence, Tyler Hamilton, Did Millar come clean, Ullrich's doping plan, Doping and still suffering
- July 21, part 1: Stage 17, 2006 Tour, And the winner is?, Chicken!, Rasmussen not a "team player"?, Enough Lance, Floyd's bad day, Is Discovery really a true U.S. ProTour team?, First-time winners' past records, Kudos to Leblanc, Landis' aero bars, NORBA Nationals, Floyd's not "photogenically challenged", Respect the yellow jersey?, US Nationals, Very unsatisfying
- July 14, part 2: Landis' aero bars, Wide Open Before the Cols- An Average Fan's Predictions, US Nationals, Cipo @ the Tour, And the Winner is?, Boring spots, Disco Boys?, Enough Lance, Is Discovery really a true U.S. Pro Tour Team?, Kloden by default, Millar's new TT position, Photogenically Challenged Champions, Segregation is not the solution
- July 14, part 1: Legalising doping , Small world, Hamilton's fax, Cheats, Come clean, Simoni, Doping and the double standard, Dopers don't affect love of riding, Greg LeMond, Vino, Lance & LeMond
- July 7, part 2: Legalise it!, Doping, Greg LeMond, Plenty of riders don't dope, What I will do, Phonak, Come clean, Hide & Seek, The Early Signs coming True, Doping and sponsors, Santiago Botero not on the list, An alternative
- July 7, part 1: Are we paying these guys enough? Cardiac hypertrophy and sudden death, A cycling scandal? A sad day for cycling fans, Discovery's team leader, Easier racing won't help, Simoni, Cheats, Vinokourov, An open letter to Ivan Basso, Are we alone?, Sharing the road, Searching for an old book
- June 30, part 1: Easier racing won't help, Communidad Valencia and the ASO, Doping & fans, What a Shame, Sunny side of pro dopers, Tyler Hamilton: how long can he deny, The new "performance" enhancer, Greg LeMond, Armstrong's letter to IOC, Armstrong, L'Équipe, WADA & Pound, A call for one more test
- June 30, part 2: Ullrich and the Tour, Mancebo: The Unsung Hero, Hincapie to lead Disco, Jane Higdon, USA junior development, Voigt vs. Hincapie, Operation Puerto, Where there is smoke, there is fire, Watching the wheels come off, Why only cycling?, UCI request for riders to submit signed statements, UCI leadership questioned by reporters
- June 23: "Next!", Hincapie to lead Disco, USA junior development, Jane Higdon, A call for one more test, Armstrong's letter to IOC, Defending Landis, Doping, The Armstrong/L'Équipe/WADA/Pound affair, Spanish doping allegations, Team consequences, Voigt vs. Hincapie
- June 16: Pound should resign, Now I’m really confused, Vinokourov, Saiz, doping and the TdF, The Spanish operation, Misplaced sympathy, Name the suspects, Spanish doping, Opinions from France, ASO, Simoni vs. Basso, Voigt vs. Hincapie, Jens Voigt vs. George Hincapie, Voigt and Hincapie, Jane Higdon, Jeremy Vennell diary
- June 11: Simoni vs. Basso, Basso and Simoni, Simoni versus Basso, Simoni's smile, Sour grapes Simoni, Sarcastic, disgruntled fan?, Congrats to Jan, Non-round rings, Sport, Voigt and Hincapie, Jens Voigt, Three cheers for Jens Voigt, Jens Voigt vs. George Hincapie, Voigt vs. Hincapie, Thanks to Voigt and Manzano, Champion in countless ways, Chapeau Jens!
- June 9 - Special edition: Vino’s position, Astana-Wurth and the TdF, Vinokourov, Saiz, doping and the TdF, Spanish doping allegations, WADA, Vrijman's findings, That Report, WADA and Armstrong, WADA vs. UCI vs. the riders, WADA's double standard, WADA and Pound missing the point, Pound should resign, A Pound of what?, The role of the AIGCP, The Spanish operation, Botero interview, Say it isn't so, Manolo
- June 2: Simoni versus Basso, Simoni and Basso, Simoni, Simoni's smile, Simoni is a crybaby, Basso and Simoni, Sour grapes Simoni, Gibo Si-MOAN-i, Blood, drugs, cash and corruption, Sickening double standard, Spanish federations' reaction to Saiz, Don't be surprised by drug use, Giro d'Italia, Thanks to Voigt and Manzano, Chapeau Jens!, Jens Voigt, Three cheers for Jens Voigt, Jens Voigt is the man, Voigt 2006 vs Boogerd 1999, Voigt and Hincapie, Discovery’s Giro team, Altitude tents and EPO, Not just name-calling, Say it isn't so, Manolo, Spanish doping allegations, Armstrong and L'Equipe, CSC is a class act, Basso and CSC, Jimenez memories, Markers in drugs, Discovery Channel's Giro performance, Pound should resign, Giro live reporting, Banning of altitude tents, Bettini is consistent
- May 26: Their A-game's at home, The Tour and the TT, Jan's good form, Jan bashing, Congrats to Jan, The diesel, Double or nothing, Ivance Bassostrong, Bravo, Basso!, Discovery Channel's Giro performance, Bettini is consistent, Banning of altitude tents, When disqualification isn't enough, WADA should ban intervals
- May 26 - Special edition: Say it ain't so, Manolo, Say it isn't so, Spanish Federations' reaction to Saiz, The doping scandal to end them all
- May 19: Bettini is consistent, Banning of altitude tents, Hypoxic tents, WADA and altitude tents, Latest WADA crusade, WADA bans another, Congrats to Jan, Criticism of Jan Ullrich, Jan bashing, Jan ready for the Tour, Jan's good form, Armstrong - the New American Idol, The same old Lance, Defeatism in Discovery, Giro reactions, One of Savoldelli's secrets, Rasmussen's time trial position, Riders under helmets, Difference between following and leading, The Tour and the TT, Bruyneel's Giro comments, When disqualification isn't enough
- May 12: Marion Clignet, Bruyneel's Giro comments, Criticism of Jan Ullrich, Jan bashing, Jan's weight, Defeatism in Discovery, Lance talking up Basso, The same old Lance, Rasmussen's time trial position, Giro team time trial, Hincapie in Paris-Roubaix, Riders under helmets
- May 5: Criticism of Jan, Criticism of Ullrich, The Ullrich-bashing bandwagon, Ullrich in 2006, Jan dramas, More Jan dramas, Bruyneel's Giro comments, Team helmets, Volunteering at bike races, Hincapie in Paris-Roubaix
- April 28: Working for the team in Georgia, Ullrich's thick skin, Ullrich and the 2006 Tour, Jan Ullrich racing, Ullrich and THAT wheel, Jan Ullrich, Jan dramas, Paris-Roubaix technology, Hincapie in Paris-Roubaix, Paris-Roubaix controversy, Paris-Roubaix comments, Paris-Roubaix tech, Team helmets
- April 21: Paris-Roubaix final say, Paris-Roubaix controversy, Paris-Roubaix and technology, George and the fork issue, Quotable quotes, Cycling technology, Behaving like a champion, Paris-Roubaix: UCI Code of Ethics
- April 14: Continuing to behave like a champion, No curse of the rainbow jersey, Tom Boonen, Hang in there, Saul, The gods of cycling, Trek and Paris-Roubaix, Looking out for George, Paris-Roubaix and technology, Broken forks and broken dreams, Jan Ullrich, Jan dramas, Disqualifications, So you know, Paris - Roubaix, THAT railway crossing incident, Need for consistency, Paris-Roubaix - poor Cancellara, Paris Roubaix disqualification, Paris-Roubaix: setting a good example, Roubaix disqualification decision, UCI Roubaix disgrace, Paris Roubaix disqualification, Paris Roubaix affair, Paris-Roubaix fiasco, Paris-Roubaix sham, Racing's railroad crossings, George's bike failure, Let them race, Roubaix controversy
- April 12 (Special Paris Roubaix edition): Paris-Roubaix disqualification, Disqualification on the pave, Level crossing in Paris-Roubaix, Rules are rules, Paris-Roubaix, McQuaid's reasoning, Pat McQuaid and train barriers, Railway crossing at Paris-Roubaix, Disqualifications in Paris-Roubaix, Paris-Roubaix crossing, Roubaix controversy, Grade crossings, Railroad crossings, Safety at Paris-Roubaix, Paris-Roubaix sham, Paris-Roubaix safety, Paris-Roubaix rail crossing, Boonen and friends cross the tracks, McQuaid's explanation, Roubaix disqualification decision
- April 7: Hang in there Saul, De Ronde parcours, Edwig van Hooydonk, Discovery’s American riders, Tom Boonen, April fools, Hair care product line, Brave new world, Commonwealth Games time trial, Photo of the year
