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Letters to Cyclingnews - October 19, 2007
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.
2006 Grand Tour trifecta!
2006 Tour de France
A fitting end to the season
Armstrong on Landis
Bike design originality
doping in cycling
Doping numbers
Paris-Tours testing mishap
UCI and the lack of testing!
Vino's other Tour stage win
The absolute best?
2006 Grand Tour trifecta!
Here is something to ponder: All three Grand Tour winners from 2006 are now suspended for doping or (in the case of Vinokourov) awaiting hearing into positive test results.
2007 looks (slightly) better. The Giro winner DiLuca is now suspended. Tour winner Contador was accused of involvement in OP, but no further prosecution has taken place. And Vuelta champion Menchov seems to have come out squeaky clean. One out of three isn’t bad.
We're heading in the right direction. Will 2008 give us three clean Grand Tours? I hope so.
Ethan Lindbloom
Richmond, Virginia, USA
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
2006 Tour de France
From your news account of October 16, I really do not see what Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme has to be proud on in declaring Oscar Pereiro the winner of the 2006 Tour de France. After all, Pereiro tested positive for drug use in Stages 14 and 16 of the race, as reported in January 19 Cyclingnews. I should think this would be Mr. Prudhomme's worst nightmare. Mr. Pereiro did admit to drug use in those two stages (January 19, 20 Cyclingnews), and was investigated by the AFLD. True, he did have an exemption, but Salbutomol is a banned substance and yet it is allowed to be used by a number of riders. This really makes no sense to me and I bring this point up to show the hypocrisy of the drug situation in cycling. The authorities have banned far too many drugs with no serious look at the consequences, or a realistic way of controlling them. I have no suggestions to offer other than to let the pro teams take charge as the US does for pro baseball, football, and other sports.
John Kopp
Nipomo, CA
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
A fitting end to the season
It is so appropriate that CONI has suspended Danilo DiLuca going into the last race of the season. And is it Cosmic Justice that Cadel Evans has a sparkling chance of stealing the UCI ProTour title from a rider that is being sidelined, and not given a chance to compete for the title that he now is leading, going into the last race? UCI, CONI and all of the authorities should be absolutely ashamed of themselves for the way they have thoroughly trashed bicycle racing this year.
I'd say that I'm glad this year is over, and now we can look forward to a new year! But a lot of us said that last year, and look what we got this year! I still love the sport, but cycling has been totally stripped of its credibility. Now when a race finishes we all just hold our collective breath, and hope no disqualifying test results pop to the surface, to change all of the results. I really like Cadel Evans, but if he takes the ProTour Title while DiLuca serves out an incredibly ill timed suspension, the Title is meaningless. From now on, I think we should just call all the cycling regulatory bodies "The Neutralizers" Because besides neutralizing the riders, they’ve deadened the passion for the fans as well.
Ralph Michael Emerson
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Armstrong on Landis
Richard, what's your point? That a preponderance of evidence is an insufficient standard for finding guilt? That "reasonable doubt" is too harsh? Are you complaining about the death penalty that they hardly ever administer in actuality? This isn't a circumstantial case. They found a high TE ratio in Floyd's A and B samples and the tests found synthetic testosterone in his blood. The findings in the legal proceeding, while they found problems with the lab's methodologies and lax procedural behaviour, found confidence in that the lab had no idea whose blood they were testing and found the test to discover the synthetic nature of the drug in his blood to be reliable.
J. Paul
Fair Haven, NJ
Friday, October 12, 2007
Armstrong on Landis #2
I wish Armstrong would stay out of this. The more he opens his mouth, the more he seems to taint himself. I thought; at one time that a cancer survivor would never, never risk taking hormones to enhance their performance. Now I am beginning to doubt that.
Given the Marion Jones confession that was preceded by absolute repetitive denial, I now assume that all of sport is infected by this problem. I think that the attitude is that test levels are specification levels, i.e. any amount of substance up to the limit is fair. (I believe that Lance alluded to this on one occasion). The challenge for the athletes then becomes a balancing act. Get the chemistry wrong, and you fall on the wrong side of the line.
At least cycling is taking care to fight it. What would our Sunday stadiums be like if soccer, American football and baseball, hockey, et al, all followed the same test programs? Empty, you can bet.
John LaGrandeur
Friday, October 12, 2007
Armstrong on Landis #3
Mr. Marks and his comments about the 'preponderance of the evidence' involving civil cases are wide of the mark with regard to doping accusations. Once a 'positive' test has been determined, the only way for a rider to prove his innocence is to examine the proceedings and find that the test was flawed. There is no other way to prove innocence. The preponderance of the evidence standard means that prosecutions do not have to produce the container that the dope came in, 'smoking gun', paraphernalia, 'evidence', or even speak to motive. The test is the standard, and the costs for botching this are enormous. It is not just the rider that suffers, it is the whole team that potentially loses sponsors or, as in the Landis case, folds entirely. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that a test had better be absolutely air tight before an accusation is made.
Those of us who routinely conduct doping tests are left scratching our heads after the Landis case. I have seen positive dope tests thrown out for something as silly as the sealing tape being outside the lines on the collection bottle. It wouldn't have mattered if the guy was standing there with cocaine still smeared on his nose, even the hint of contamination is enough to result in a test being thrown out. After acknowledging that the initial tests were botched, ignoring the possibility of contamination, and going with the easier standard for positivity in exogenous testosterone (LNDD vs. UCLA standard), one can easily be left wondering exactly how a falsely accused athlete could possibly clear him or herself in the event of a false positive (which happens in even the best conditions)?
I am not sure if the system is set up to reward unconditional loyalty to the system or if the pride of the Tour encourages compliance, but I am quite certain that Floyd Landis has more than met the burden of proof required to have his positive thrown out. It may seem like a technicality, but that is the only option that the system leaves for athletes accused of doping. The test is accusation. The test is the proof. That the test clearly had many errors and the arbitration panel still upheld the conviction means there is something not right with the system. I believe that is exactly the point Landis is trying to make.
Eric E Greek
Columbus, GA
Friday, October 12, 2007
Armstrong on Landis #4
Richard Marks points out:
“It was a civil matter. In that case, ‘preponderance of the evidence’ is the standard.”
Agreed. The preponderance of the evidence showed that the lab which provided the only evidence against Floyd was grossly incompetent. This fact has gone undisputed:
1) The USADA did not present evidence to the contrary.
2) All 3 arbitrators stated the lab did shoddy work. Shoddy enough that false-positives could result.
3) The lab itself has not attempted to rebut the accusations against it. All the director of the lab could muster was something along the lines of “we wish they didn’t have to attack our lab so strongly…”. This whimpy response can only lead us to believe that everything that the Landis team and their witnesses said was true. No one is saying otherwise.
So, if the preponderance of the evidence says that the tests were totally botched and the results are highly dubious, how can we use said results to “convict” a man of cheating? Perhaps Floyd should launch a civil case against the lab for defamation of character, and the USADA for reckless prosecution. The preponderance of evidence suggests he’d be victorious.
Jon Hobbs
Shawnee, KS, USA
Friday, October 12, 2007
Armstrong on Landis #5
I have to agree with Lance Armstrong about a Jury trial being favourable to Floyd Landis. Yes this was a civil trial, but it was tried by three special lawyers who should know and follow the rules of evidence. From what I understand of news reports of the ruling handed down, they threw out the initial test and admitted the validity synthetic testosterone B sample tests were problematic. Thus it appears to me their final ruling was arbitrary, and in our justice system, would quickly be reversed on appeal. I would hope that Floyd seeks damages from the USADA for this injustice.
John Kopp
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Bike design originality
I'd have to say I agree. But it is a symptom of the 'step change' in technology that happened as carbon fibre became more mainstream or maybe as people learnt how best to employ it with regard to bike building. A sweet new creation that barely turns heads this year would have been a show stopper those 3 years ago.
Its all so fibre oriented nowadays that I'm almost looking for metal based 'accessories' so as not to over-carbon my bike.
Alex Randall
Melbourne, Australia
Friday, October 12, 2007
Bike design originality #2
Possibly, these companies are emulating tried and true applications of design weather it's for the aesthetics or the actual integrity of the design is yet to be defined. I feel there are many companies bringing to market very unique new designs. Look at the Jamis' Xenith T2 multi-sport bike, Pinarello Prince, Specialized Enduro series of bikes. There is a lot of innovation coming to market. Possibly, you need to dig a little deeper to find it but its there.
Regarding Interbike; I felt Interbike had a lot more excitement, energy and attendees over previous years. However, I do feel the industry is in a mode of refinement/evolution rather than revolution. All of the main vendors, Shimano, Campagnolo, SRAM, and the bicycle vendors Trek, Specialized, Jamis, Giant, ect... have done a great job at producing very high quality products that it is going to be very difficult to eclipse what is being brought to market. Yes, there will be changes year to year but more in an effort of refinement. Which I feel speaks volumes in respect to the vendor’s efforts in our industry. I prefer to invest in a product that is tuned to the highest degree rather than ride an unproven product.
Robert Van De Mure
Philadelphia, PA
Friday, October 12, 2007
Bike design originality #3
Unlike Motorola, bike designers (especially for the larger companies) are limited by the regulations put in place by the UCI as to what a bike "should" look like. This has left most bicycle engineers with little more than trying to create a new way to do something that has already been done pretty well (how many aero look tubes do we really need? Are integrated seat masts really an improvement?). Until the UCI realizes they are hampering progress and changes their rules, or bike manufacturers dare to produce and heavily market designs that don't meet UCI regulations to consumers, designers will continue to be working with a limited palette and bike design will be somewhat stagnant.
Some very cutting edge designs have come and gone because of UCI regulations. However, I know that there are frame designs on the drawing tables of some innovative bike companies that are dramatic departures from UCI regulations and have not been shown at the show to date. I only hope that these companies choose to produce them regardless as they will help bring the bicycle to the next level and that is what drives enthusiasm and future innovation.
Ian
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Bike design originality #4
But let’s be careful not to jump to any conclusions! Just because things look the same, especially when talking carbon, does not mean that they are going to ride the same. Beyond that if you stop and think about it, it was bound to happen. All these manufacturers are trying to do the same thing, build a lighter, stiffer more comfortable bike with the best ride quality possible. If there is a design aspect out there that is going to help these guys meet that goal it makes sense that it is going to show up everywhere. But as I mentioned earlier, especially with carbon, what it looks like means little it is all about how it is built that is going to have the biggest impact on ride.
Duncan Benning
Monday, October 15, 2007
Doping in cycling
As a practicing internal medicine physician for 14 years, as well as a long time cyclist, I think we should open our eyes to what is going on in our sport. The recent Floyd Landis debacle is just a symptom of a larger problem; not only in cycling, but in all other professional sports, where there is a lot of money to be made.
Performance enhancing drugs are in all sports. While I respect the discipline of cyclists for their dedication to training, the demands of the sport at an elite level almost make it impossible to reach a high degree of competition without some pharmacological help. The fact that those who have not been caught and proclaim their innocence means nothing. Looking at it from a medical perspective makes it quite easy to see that many are cheating, just to be able to sustain a high level of training.
As long as there is money to be made, athletes will be tempted to cheat. The root cause is the exorbitant amounts of money to be made if one can sustain a high level of performance. The current methods to catch cheaters are good, but testing is still way behind where the level of doping is. There are many medical and non medical substances which are being used now that anti-doping enforcers have not even thought of or, if thought of, no testing method is available.
The recent cheating exposures in cycling, track and field, baseball, etc. are only the tip of the iceberg.
William Pompella, D.O.
Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania, USA
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Doping numbers
I am not sure where Ed Parrot got the idea that cycling is tested more than track and field, but according to 2nd quarter USADA statistics for 2007, athletics was tested 1335 times. Cycling was tested 427 times.
In 2006 WADA tested athletics 189 times for urine tests, 91 for EPO analysis and 6 blood tests. For cycling the numbers were 105, 105 and 22, respectively.
Sam Callan
Monday, October 15, 2007
Paris-Tours testing mishap
I’ve had it with the ASO.
They pursue two American cyclists (Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis) with a vengeance but they can’t perform or even try for a proper doping control at one of their premier races? I don’t doubt that the doctor was late, these things happen. However, the fact that the staff in charge of one of the premier races in the world couldn’t keep the winner(s) sequestered until the doctor showed up smacks of incompetence. And the statement that the doctor needs several hours to prep is B.S. You’re drawing blood. I’ve had Red Cross people show up at my office to draw, store and reuse blood in less than 30 minutes… and we’re supposed to believe the ASO staff needs four hours?
These people are professionals… more importantly professionals who constantly harp on doping… and they just let the winners walk out? I would dare say that the press and cycling community as a whole would be happier with “we had a problem with our doping controls… you will have to wait but we want to keep this honest.” than “We had to keep a schedule and get our guys on the podium for the sponsors”.
This whole thing smacks of hypocrisy… they’re spending countless hours and dollars pursuing Landis (who may or may not be innocent… not the point here) but they can’t even get a primary and critical doping control right.
ASO… don’t toy with us… be serious with us. One sets of rules for everyone. You meet them or you don’t.
Mike T.
Monday, October 16 2007
UCI and the lack of testing!
I’m just a bit confused here. The UCI swears that they are tough on doping. No one under active investigation is supposed to ride in the ProTour, and they coerce the riders to sign a pledge to give their salaries back if they dope and are caught. However, the evidence says otherwise. First, at the beginning of the year, we read that the Tour of California did not have EPO testing last year, and sponsor Amgen is livid. Then we read that many US races have very little testing, and almost no blood testing. This week, it turns out there was no testing at Paris-Tours. Finally, the UCI only arranged for 20 out of 500 out-of-competition blood tests up to August of this year (a whole 4%!!!).
Who’s kidding who here? This is not hardball on doping. After reading Samuel Abt’s great book, Up the Road, and watching the events of this year, it really does look like “everyone’s doing it.” As Jorg Jaskche recently said, “only the dumb ones get caught.” I don’t believe that cycling is any worse than any other high dollar sport, but the poor record of the UCI on actually carrying out testing doesn’t make me think that they care at all. You have no credibility, gentlemen and ladies.
I would love to see my sport get its act together, stop feuding, get a rider’s union, and actually make headlines for the great racing and amazing efforts the riders make. Ample testing needs to be (1) done, and (2) done right, and (3) not leaked. Riders cannot be sanctioned until they are guilty. The rumour mill destruction of any successful rider just because he is successful is insane. The internecine warfare must stop!
Vickie Backman
San Luis Obispo, California, USA
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Vino's other Tour stage win
It may have been discussed in the interim between the Tour and now, but I have missed it if it has. Vino tested positive following the TT stage that he won, and if the non-negative result holds up then Cadel Evans will rightfully be proclaimed the winner. What about the road stage he won two days later? If he is sanctioned because of the positive test from stage 13, how can he be allowed to remain the winner of stage 15 when he was removed from the race with the fiction that the expulsion dates back to the positive result day? I have not seen Kim Kirchen (2nd on stage 15) or T-Mobile canvass for the win, but that may simply be because positive tests are not something they want to direct any attention to. Does anyone know the answer to this?
M. Baron
Vancouver, Canada
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
The absolute best?
I'd like to respond to Kim Owen's statement "The American legal system is the absolute best in the world." What makes you so sure of that, Kim? Can you demonstrate that you have made in-depth studies of other legal systems for comparison? How many, and which have you investigated? I assume you're American, and your faith is quite touching; but it's a pity you just can't (or won't) accept that other legal systems may simply be different - and 'different' does not means 'worse.' Whether it's about doping cases or anything else, remember: Knowledge cannot enter a closed mind.
Liz Cochrane
Malaga, Spain
Friday, October 12, 2007
Recent letters pages
Letters 2007
- October 12: Armstrong on Landis, Bike design originality, Cycling drama, Doping is unfair; but so is discrimination, It’s not doping that's..., Landis case - everyone's a loser, Length and cost of the Landis case, R & R, The Landis decision, Tour of America
- October 5: Cycle drama, It's not doping that's "killing" the sport, Why is VAM a benchmark, Tour of America, The Landis decision, DYNEPO, Worlds, Rock & Republic's CEO Michael Ball, Please explain, Giuseppe Guerini, FICP
- September 28: Tour of America, World champion zany-ness, The Landis decision, ASO v UCI, McQuaid vs ASO vs the riders, Please explain, Why is VAM a benchmark, Giuseppe Guerini, Menchov felt betrayed by Rasmussen, ProTour and Le Tour, Where is the due process
- September 21: Astana's future and Bruyneel, Bruyneel's afterlife, Floyd Landis decision, Why is VAM a benchmark, Lifetime bans, Menchov felt betrayed by Rasmussen, Ungrateful Levi, Spanish cycling, Where is the due process
- September 14: Astana & Bruyneel, Cycling vs. soccer, Cycling will survive, Floyd Landis decision, LeMond's comments, Menchov felt betrayed by Rasmussen, Ungrateful Levi, Why is VAM a benchmark?
- September 7: Cycling vs. soccer, Floyd Landis decision, UCI, ASO, LeMond, et al who cares? Riders, Lawyers in the Landis case, LeMond's comments, Riders taking the fall?, US Postal/Discovery R.I.P.
- August 31: LeMond’s comments, Farewell De Peet, Cycling needs a Norma Rae, Vino & human rights?, Cadel was robbed, Floyd Landis decision, Market beliefs, Sinkewitz Positive.
- August 23: Biting the hand that feeds you, Cadel was robbed, Congratulations to grand tour organizers, Cycling needs a Norma Rae, Discovery folding, Drugs and cycling, Fewer ProTour teams, Floyd Landis decision, Petacchi’s asthma, Science of doping, Sinkewitz positive, Tailwind withdrawal, The good news...., Unibet, what a shame, World’s exclusion, Vino: "a clear violation of human rights"?,
- August 17: Dying from within..., Cadel was robbed, Biting the hand that feeds you, Discovery folding, Astana-Tour cover-up?, Christian Moreni, UCI may lose it all, Drugs & cycling, Aussie proTour team, Valverde and the worlds, Klöden: are things getting out of control?, Congratulations to grand tours organizers
- August 10: Smarter Drug Testing, Cassani and Rasmussen, Bruyneel: take doping seriously, The dubious Disco boys, Spanish ethics, Who's to blame for doping?, Untrustworthy authorities, Insurance for pro riders, Science of doping, It's working?, State of cycling, Less mountain stages, Positively false, Sinkewitz positive, Team suspensions, Tour ethics, Vino response, Editorials call for ending Tour, Revoking le Tours jerseys, LeMond, the voice crying out in the desert, WADA vigilantes
- August 3, Part 1: What about team suspensions?, WADA vigilantes, Vino response, Vino excluded, but why the whole team?, Unanswered questions, Tour de France doping "scandals", State of cycling, Spanish ethics and the A.C. joke, Sinkewitz positive, Secondary testing?, Editorials calling for ending Tour, Rasmussen's location, Quality control and anti doping, Positively False, McQuaid: not the Godfather of cycling, Less mountain stages
- August 3, Part 2: LeMond, the voice crying out in the desert, Le Tour, L'affaire Vino, It’s the culture, IOC questioning cycling in Olympics, Greg LeMond is not surprised, Greg LeMond, German TV, Due process, Evans v Contador - the real margin of victory, Doping, the media and the MPCC, Doping, Evans, Dope tests and the tour, Different perspective on doping, David Millar, Cycling revolution, Cadel was robbed, Bruyneel a 'man in black'?, Another drug test result leaked, Andy Hampsten
- July 27 Part 1: 80's style back in fashion?, A great few days for cycling, Vino excluded, but why the whole team?, Another drug test result leaked, ASO discretion in administering Tour justice, Astana in stage 5, Astana’s tactics, Bad day for Australia, Bloody dopes, Cadel Evans, Catching Vino is good news, Conspiracy?, David "what a joke" Millar, Doping, Doping controls, Tour ethics, German TV, LeMond, the voice crying out in the desert, How many big bastards in the peloton?
- July 27 Part 2: How will cycling survive, Kazahkstan Pie, Kessler's lie, Landis and lie detector, Landis testing, Le maillot jaune is gone, LeMond and mitochondria myopathy, The'Vino' scene, Losing time and bouncing back, Losing my religion, Moreau, No, not Vino, Out of season testing and baseline tests, PED's, Revoking le Tours jerseys, Petacchi out
- July 20: What about team suspensions?, Tyler Hamilton, Stuttgart Worlds, Sinkewitz positive, Petacchi out!, Bad day for Australia, Kessler's lie, Landis and lie detector, LeMond and mitochondria myopathy, Intestinal problems, Greg LeMond, the voice crying out in the desert, Fair doping tests, Drug testing and sequence of recorded results, Revoking le Tours jerseys, Advice for Stapleton and Sinkewitz, Astana in stage 5, Crashes, bike changes & team cars
- July 13: Fair doping tests, Tyler Hamilton, Tour downright exciting!, Stuttgart(?) Worlds, Rocketing Robbie v tormented Tommy, Armstrong's comment to ASO, Petacchi out, LeMond and mitochondria myopathy, Intestinal Problems, Incentive for doping, Imagine, UCI agreement, Does the UCI test for blood transfusions?, The real heroes, Bicycle options,
- July 5: Tour de France boring!, The real heroes, The flying Scotsman, Signing the contract, No Zabriskie?, LeMond and mitochondria myopathy, Incentive for Doping, Bicycle Options, Anti-doping charter, Sale of the century
- June 29: "The Flying Scotsman",Cancellara,The real heroes, Categorised Climbs, Tour for Devolder and Zabriskie?, Tour de France, boring!,Nationalistic pride, Anti Doping Charter, Bicycle Options, Doping, Doping Coverage - Enough already..., Who dopes? Who doesn't? Who cares!
- June 22: Anti Doping Charter, The real heroes, Basso's "suspension", Categorized climbs, Bicycle options, Greg LeMond and record ITT's, It is about us!, Finding the clean winner of the TdF?, Tour de France, BORING!, Prudhomme and the 1996 Tour farce, Riis, the '96 Tour and Prudhomme, Amnesty for doping..., Cycling, doping....???, Who dopes? Who doesn't? Who cares!
- June 15: Bicycle options, New Trek Madone, A week of confessions, Cycling - not yet a real professional sport, Di Luca's finest win..., Three Tour wins for Ullrich?, Ullrich getting screwed, Giro fever, Amnesty for doping offenses, Greg LeMond and record ITTs, Is drafting a known doper cheating?, Let's sort this mess out, Doping hypocrisy, Cycling, doping....?, Prudhomme and the1996 Tour farce, Simoni goes 1850 meters / hour
- June 8: Di Luca's finest win, Simoni goes 1850 metres / hour, What ever happened to Iban Mayo?, Andy the Dandy, Three Tour wins for Ullrich?, Ullrich getting screwed, Percentage of pros with asthma, Amnesty for doping offenses, ling - not yet a real professional sport, Doping and cycling, Greg LeMond and record ITTs, Meaningless defense, We are out of denial - Let's look forward
- June 1, part 1: A thought for cycling's true heroes..., A cunning plan, A great opportunity for the UCI, Admissions of guilt, Let's have some real confessions, Amnesty is the way forward, Suggestions for an amnesty, Amnesty, Amnesty or punishment?, ASO's double standard, Tour Clowns, Bjarne Riis, Bjarne Riis confession, Riis must go, Riis, Basso, Zabel, et al..., Repairing the Magenta Express, Tip of the iceberg, Riis and winning the tour on EPO
- June 1, part 2: Confessions?, Honour - Seemingly rare in cycling, How deep do you go?, Who do we give it to?, A week of confessions, Peer pressure, Mind boggling hypocrisy, Pro cycling - Sometimes you make it hard to love you, Meaningless defence, Riding with Lance, Lucky Lance, Cheating by proxy, LeMond trying to tear down US riders , So, if Floyd is right..., Thank you Floyd, Floyd Landis hearing, Mr. Young's closing arguments, Something more important..., What ever happened to Iban Mayo?, Percentage of pros with asthma:
- May 23: Landis case live coverage, LeMond a true champion, Questioning LeMond's motives, LeMond trying to tear down US riders, Saint LeMond, Landis and his character, Landis has made cycling a joke, Landis had his drink spiked?, Landis in a corner, Landis polygraph?, Landis' disclosure of information, The quality of Landis' character, Landis' behaviour, Joe Papp
- May 18: Armstrong can defend himself, Di Brat, Chris Hoy's world kilo record attempt , Hoy in sixty seconds, What ever happened to Iban Mayo?, Hypocrisy of the cycling world, Italian Reactions to Basso, Who's telling the truth?, Basso + Ullrich = Armstrong?, Basso still a legend, Simoni vs Basso, Basso, Landis etc The new mafia?, Landis to ask UCI to boot Pound, Vinokourov to claim second in '05 TdF?, Percentage of pros with asthma, Unibet at Dunkerque
- May 11: An attempt at doping?, Almost as bad as Ullrich, Basso admission, Hats off Basso, Basso still a legend, Basso's attempted plea bargain, Basso and Discovery, Discovery's PR, Basso vs Simoni , Truth and Reconciliation Commission, A means to an end, Hypocrisy of the cycling world, Vinokourov to claim second in '05 TdF? , New Puerto plan, Where is the Puerto money?, Time to start re-stating race results, The morals and math of cycling, Chris Hoy's world kilo record attempt , Unibet at Dunkerque, Davide Rebellin
- May 4: Call that a race?, Reflecting on Schumacher's win, Pose with Landis, at a price, Danielson should leave Discovery, Davide Rebellin, The year of the clean Classics?, Basso and Discovery, Basso this, Landis that, Ullrich the other..., Basso, DNA and whatever else, Basso's DNA, Say it ain't so, Johan, Let's cut them some slack!, Armstrong, head and shoulders above?, Landis, Armstrong vs the Lab, It's not all about the Tour!, Puerto Affair
- April 27: The year of the clean Classics?, David Rebellin, Call that a race?, Reflecting on Schumacher's win, Danielson should leave Discovery, Inspirational O'Grady and those cobbles, L'Equipe does it again!, Tour de France speaks out, The morals and math of cycling, Basso and Puerto, Puerto, part deux, Gilberto, you were right!, Landis, Armstrong vs the Lab, Pose with Landis, at a price?, Taking blood, Gent-Wevelgem and the Kemmelberg, Gent-Wevelgem and water bottles
- April 20: Stuey wins Roubaix, O'Grady Rocks!, An Aussie in Arenberg, Deep-dish carbon versus the cobbles, Gent-Wevelgem and water bottles, Unibet/FdJ/Lotto - Help!, U.S. Open Cycling Championships, Racing in America, Retesting Floyd's B-samples, Taking blood
- April 13: Thoughts on Flanders, Crashes at Gent-Wevelgem, Gent-Wevelgem and water bottles, What about that loose water bottle?, T-Mobile one-two, Popo for the Classics, Racing in America, U.S. Open Cycling Championships, Unibet/FdJ/Lotto - Help!, French hypocrites?, Bjarne Riis, Floyd Landis 'B' sample fiasco, Taking blood, Ullrich DNA match
- April 6: April Fools, Ullrich DNA match, Taking blood, T-Mobile and Puerto, The song remains the same, Ullrich and Hamilton, Tyler Hamilton and flu, Unibet and access into France, Bjarne Riis, Popovych, The death of irony, Armstrong boring?, Ullrich/Armstrong comparisons
- March 30: Basso wind tunnel testing, Bjarne Riis, Riis' response, Drugs in other sports, Dominquez at Redlands, Armstrong boring?, Ullrich/Armstrong comparisons, Popovych - the new Armstrong?, ASO wildcard selections, ASO-UCI split, Boys atop the sport, Cycling at two speeds, Puerto shelved, Tyler Hamilton.
- March 23: Popovych - the new Armstrong?, A few years ago, Tyler Hamilton, Operación Puerto not complete, Puerto shelved, ASO-UCI split, Drugs in other sports, Basso wind tunnel testing, Water bottle and cage sponsorship, Bates' article on Jan Ullrich, Ullrich's retirement, The current state of cycling
- March 16: Don Lefévère, Lefévère tries to reinforce omerta, Spring fever, Ullrich's retirement, UCI has no power, Puerto shelved, Who's been taking what?, ProTour a flawed competition?, UCI-Grand Tour organizer dual!, ASO-UCI split, ASO needs to see benefits in ProTour, Sponsorship, drug use and dinosaurs, The current state of cycling, New Pro Cyclist Union, Congratulations to Unibet, Unibet situation, Unibet.com marketing, Tour of California mistake
- March 9: ASO - UCI split, UCI has no power, UCI vs. ASO, UCI vs. the world, ProTour and contracts, The Unibet fiasco: is it that bad?, Unibet and French law, Unibet situation, Pete Bassinger's Iditarod Trail record ride, Bates' article on Jan Ullrich, Ullrich's retirement, Tour of California expenses, Discovery's profile in Europe, Discovery's reasons for pulling sponsorship, Floyd's big ride
- March 2: Ullrich's retirement, Altitude tents and EPO, Home-made altitude tents, Tyler Hamilton and drug testing, The agony of Unibet?, Discovery's reasons for pulling sponsorship, Discovery's world upside down?, Upside down Disco solved, Tour of California mistake, Graeme Brown, Hats off to Dick Pound?, Grand Tours, who really cares?, ProTour and contracts, ProTour vs wildcards, RCS' decision, UCI vs. the world, Floyd's big ride, Asthma everywhere
- February 23: Altitude tents and EPO, Tour of California mistake, Chavanel's training regime, Discovery's reasons for pulling sponsorship, Discovery's world upside down?, Tyler Hamilton and drug testing, Grand Tours, who really cares?, The Unibet fiasco: is it that bad?, A solution to the Unibet situation, UCI and the ASO, UCI vs. the world, Will the fight never end?, Paris Nice and others, Pro Tour and contracts, RCS decision, Hats off to Dick Pound, Armstrong owes Dick Pound nothing, Graeme Brown, Asthma everywhere, The sorry state of pro-cycling
- February 16: T-Mobile, Adam Hanson and doping, Unibet's new jersey, Double standards for Unibet?, RCS decision, A letter to ASO, Hamilton and Tinkov, Discovery Channel, Asthma everywhere, Bart Wellens' comments at the cross worlds, Best moment?, Crowd control at the cross worlds, Doping reconciliation, Get into 'cross racing, Pound still wants answers from Armstrong, The sorry state of pro-cycling
- February 9: Unibet show they won't be put down, Double standards for Unibet?, Unibet's new jersey, Asthma everywhere, Bart Wellens' comments at the Cross Worlds, Crowd control at the Cross Worlds, Jonathan Page's mechanic beaten, Cheers to Bradley Wiggins, Bradley Wiggins' comments, Jaksche lashes out, Get into 'cross racing, Le Tour was created to sell newspapers, The stakes are too high, Doping reconciliation, Best moment of 2006?, Ivan Basso interview, Ullrich's DNA sample, Ullrich to Relax-GAM?, Ullrich partners with sports-clothing company, Still love to ride, My perfect state of mountain biking, A terrible model for cycling
- February 2: The sanctimonious need to be taken out back, Confidentiality of test results, Oscar Pereiro cleared, Cyclo-cross reader poll results, Fairness in Operation Puerto?, Riders' nicknames, Doping reconciliation, Help for Floyd Landis, Museeuw's insults, Sven Nys, The Floyd Fairness Fund, The sorry state of pro-cycling
- January 26: Drug testing methodologies, Museeuw the PR man, Museeuw's insults, Johan Museeuw and Tyler Hamilton, Sven Nys, Conduct in the pro peloton, McQuaid unhappy with Pereiro, Put doping in the correct context, Moreau wins 2006 TDF, Who wins the 2006 Tour now?, Drapac Porsche's exclusion from the TDU, Bike sponsorship, Compact geometry, The Floyd Fairness Fund
- January 19: Drapac-Porsche and the TDU, Bettini to win the Ronde?, Frame geometry, Phil Liggett's recently stated views, Prudhomme's zealotry, 3 cheers for Christian Prudhomme, Deutschland Tour, 3 cheers for Saunier Duval, Dick Pound, Fairness in Operation Puerto?, Do the maths, The Floyd Fairness Fund
- January 12: Dick Pound, Just 'Pound' him, Pound casts doubt on Landis, Pound comments, The Dick and Pat Show, McQuaid starts cultural polemic, Why the Pro Tour model will never work, The Floyd Fairness Fund, Riders' union, Cyclo-cross reader poll results, Danny Clark - an inspiration, Allan Peiper, Do the maths, Peter Van Petegem's secret, Justice and America, Lance in Leadville, Tubeless road tires
- January 5: Danny Clark - an inspiration, Legal standards and cycling, Peter Van Petegem's secret, Lance a no show for Leadville, Cyclo-cross reader poll results, Do the math, A fair trial, Tubeless road tires, Manzano's polygraph test, Blind trust in implicated riders, A terrible state of affairs, Armstrong's credibility - the conspiracy theories, Best ride ever
Letters 2006
- December 29: Lance in Leadville, Leadville Trail 100, Manzano's polygraph test, British Cycling and the Tour de France, Tell me, what's the problem?, "Disco" team?, Presumption of innocence, Landis and the Landaluze case, Landis' defense fund, American culture, Armstrong's credibility, Back room politics and the IPCT
- December 22: Scott Peoples, Hypocrite?, Landis and the Landaluze case, Landis' defense fund, Rumours and innuendo, Bjarne Riis interview, Enough already, Back room politics and the IPCT, Armstrong's credibility, American culture, Bjarne's ignorance factor, Deutschland Tour and Denmark Tour, Operation Puerto and the UCI
- December 15: A totally predictable situation?, Armstrong's credibility, Deutschland Tour and Denmark Tour, Back room politics and the IPCT, Holczer and others, Holczer and the Discovery exclusion, Bjarne's ignorance factor, Can't we all just get along?, DNA safety, Floyd Landis on Real Sports, Genevieve Jeanson, Mark McGwire, Operación Puerto bungled...deliberately?, Operation Puerto and the UCI
- December 8: Genevieve Jeanson, Floyd Landis on Real Sports, Deutschland Tour, Bjarne's ignorance factor, USADA does it again, Labs and testing, Astana denied ProTour license, Isaac Gálvez, McQuaid, Question about DNA testing, Le Tour de Langkawi 2007
- December 1: Hamilton, Isaac Gálvez, USADA does it again, Bjarne's ignorance factor, Shorten the Vuelta?, Vuelta short, shorter, shortest, Labs and testing, Ullrich to CSC, Clean up cycling's own house first, Fed up with doping, Strange sponsorships, What about Leipheimer?, French anti-doping laboratory, Basso agrees to DNA testing, Basso to Discovery, What's going on behind the scenes?, Graeme Obree
- November 24: Graeme Obree, What about Leipheimer?, French anti-doping laboratory, Basso agrees to DNA testing, Basso to Discovery, Richard Virenque, UCI are the problem, What's going on behind the scenes?
- November 17: Saiz and Tinkoff, Countdown to the 2007 Tour, Improving the reliability of testing, Basso to Discovery, Cycling and DNA testing, Forgetting Tom Simpson, Operación Puerto and national federations, Refusing DNA testing - an admission of guilt?. Reverse blood doping, Richard Virenque, What's going on behind the scenes?
- November 10: Forgetting Tom Simpson, Tour Route, Basso to Discovery, Cycling and DNA testing, What is DNA testing?, Refusing DNA testing - an admission of guilt?, Jan Ullrich, Operación Puerto and national federations, Reverse blood doping, What's going on behind the scenes?, Comments on McQuaid
- November 3: Tour Route, Return of a real good guy, Cameron Jennings, Future Australian ProTour team, Neil Stephens, 2007 Tour Intro Video Snub, Richard Virenque, Reverse blood doping, Comments on McQuaid, Marc Madiot, Who's more damaging?, What's going on behind the scenes?, Wada & Cycling's Governing Body, UCI and Doping, The Pope of Cycling and the Spanish Inquisition, Refusing DNA testing - an admission of guilt?, Put up or shut up!, DNA, its so ‘easy', DNA Testing In Cycling
