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Letters to Cyclingnews - July 4, 2008
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.
WADA, Inconsistent Lab Analysis, and Landis
Rabobank and the Tour
ASO and past Tour winners
Landis decision
Teenager mauled by bear in Anchorage
Evans to wear number one in Tour
Experience with UST Mountain Tires
iPods while riding
Erik Zabel
Oval bars
ASO's hidden agenda
Joe Magnani
Djamolidine Abdoujaparov
Giro
ASO's world domination
Ban Boonen?
A Hollow Tour Victory
WADA, Inconsistent Lab Analysis, and Landis
I couldn't help but chuckle (sorry Mr Landis) at WADA's unequivocal rejection of the Danish study calling attention to inconsistent EPO lab test results from identical samples. So, curious it is. How does Mr Landis appreciate WADA's newfound interest in impeaching the credibility of lab results that were not based on strict adherence to each detail of sampling and testing protocol.
Matt Anderton
Yakima Washington
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Rabobank and the Tour
Unless I'm reading too much into the ruling, given the fact that Michael Rasumussen's primary claim was that Rabobank was fully aware of his little trip to Mexico, isn't a decision in his favor from the Danish courts a tacit finding that the team was les than completely candid in their explanations regarding even allowing him to compete?
It seems that Rabobank allowed him to compete in the Tour knowing that he had missed his out of competition tests, and that he had failed to inform the UCI and his own federation of his whereabouts. Where is the call for the team to be excluded? In this case isn't management even more complicit than is the case with Astana?
It doesn't appear that ASO was claiming that Astana management was aware of Vinokourov and Kaschekin's doping practices, yet somehow they continue to cling to their belief that their Draconian exclusion of Astana from the Tour is justified. If ASO wants to have any credibility, they should be expelling Rabobank immediately, though it's obvious that this obvious logical contradiction will be completely lost upon them, and a completely non-sensical press release regarding why Rabobank won't be excluded will be issued shortly.
Vive le France
Ray Chen
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
ASO and past Tour winners
I just finished reading Floyd Landis' book Positively False. I must say if only 50% of what's in there is true, this 2006 Tour de France winner should not have been striped of his victory and never been punished the way he has.
It makes one thing clear though: "The System" (WADA, USADA, ASO, UCI and CAS) to name just these, are closing ranks at crucial moments and the interest of the guy on the bike is nonexistent.
In this strange world of professional cycling, one is guilty until proven otherwise (by the convict that is!) and even gross errors and sheer negligence are blatantly disregarded by those calling themselves anti-doping-law-enforcers, handling in the interest of a clean sport.
Just consider this: ASO and French cycling in general have never really accepted that Armstrong won his seven Tour victories fair and square. That's a fact. The first year he didn't compete another American was framed and stripped of his title. Last year Rasmussen - who was clearly going to win the race - was disgracefully discharged by his team and then the Tour directors while he had not even delivered a positive sample! When the circus gets underway this weekend the titleholder and points' classification winner won't be there to defend their jerseys! The whole system stinks like hell and still the teams walk along like lambs to the slaughter...
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Landis decision
The only thing that can be said about the "Court" of Arbitration for Sport is that any judicial body that has Dick Pound as a member and seriously considered him as a candidate for president is as fair and impartial as the Volksgerichts of the Third Reich.
This was originally written as a comment upon the Petacchi decision and not printed by you. It doubly applies in relation the recent Star Chamber judgment on Landis. At least the American system forced this disgraceful miscarriage of justice into the open and anyone who took the time to follow the case could see how just incompetent and/or corrupt LADD, USADA, WADA and now the CAS are. The USADA case would have been thrown out of court on a summary judgment in any reasonable country whose legal system is based on English Common Law. I cannot imagine any sane person agreeing to abide by an arbitration decision from these people unless he/she is forced to in order to compete. I would think this would make a good human rights issue for the European Court of Justice.
Bill Kinkead
Briantes, France
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Landis decision #2
I was blown away by the poor quality of your Floyd Landis article.
CAS hammered Landis from every direction in this final chapter (we all hope) with historic language and tone in addition to smacking him with a $100,000 tab for his "abuse of the system".
You folks are always so much better than this piss-poor-piece.
Sal Garcia
Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Landis decision #3
Whether or not Landis did take drugs, the rationale in the statement by CAS is absolutely laughable. Anyone who has looked at photos of the documents from the lab can see the shoddy, unprofessional, possibly malicious alterations and mistakes. If I, in my enforcement job, tried to present such documents in court, I would receive a quick kick up the backside from the defence and the judge.
The CAS justifications below are tripe. It is clear that "the system" is out to protect itself, at the expense of anyone who dares to fight back.
In a statement released by the CAS, it found that: "1. The LNDD is a WADA-accredited laboratory which benefits from the presumption that it conducted sample analysis in accordance with international laboratory standards. 2. The athlete has not rebutted this presumption my showing that a departure from the International Standard occurred."
My sincere condolences to Floyd Landis for the way he's been treated.
Robert Gilchrist
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Monday, June 30, 2008
Teenager mauled by bear in Anchorage
A friend of mine from Anchorage told me what that article failed to mention is that the suspected bear had two cubs and that any time you're between a bear and her cubs or her food you're looking at trouble. He bikes that trail all the time. He said she just had some really bad luck. He also wondered why Cycling News didn't cover the 10 mile Hatcher Pass Hill Climb (near Anchorage) last Saturday. He placed third. :)
Jim Bowers
Washington
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Evans to wear number one in Tour
If Evans has any respect for Contador and the sport he'll wear #2, his true position from the previous Tour.
He knows his true competition and the best team is not racing in this year's Tour. It's a slap in the face to Contador for the Organizers to give #1 to Evans.
We'll see if he has the balls to do the right thing versus appeasing the Tour Nazis.
Gary Lee
Daly City, CA, USA
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Experience with UST Mountain Tires
I have used tubeless tires (Stan's converted and true UST Tires) for several years. I am neither lightweight (210 lbs) nor a racer, but a very active mountain biker in Northern California. My primary reason for tubeless was the ability to run lower pressures, and not have the tire slip on the rim as it did with tube tires. When using tubes that leads to pulled out valve stems.
My experience with UST tires from two well known manufacturers suggests that they work well and do solve my tire bead slippage. However, I have noticed that carcase leaks when using either Hutchinson ProtectAir or Stan's sealant are common and blistering of the rubber layer over the plies occurred several times, which in my experience is the end of the tire. My latest rear tire before I converted to tubes again had 32 wet spots from small to 2 inches diameter (ProtectAir leakage), and would not hold pressure or the sealant.
From what I can tell the UST tire development seems to have stagnated or at least become "on hold" and the tires are not up to the task. My perspective is that the warranty voiding and my constant leaks are really due to the sealing layer inside the tube not having good integrity or ability to seal small holes.
Comments?
John Leake
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
iPods while riding
I have been following this discussion over the last couple of weeks and I do certainly agree that riding with an MP3-player (which I do myself) isn't good when thinking of road-safety.
From my perspective the possibility to listen to music when riding alone does bring a lot of advantages - I get more motivated and will do more kilometres/miles when I am not bored out of my mind from general traffic-noise after a couple of hours - but hey, that's me. I do not think I would be able to put in my 5-7 hour rides without this aid and in all honesty, messing around with a super-advanced bike-computer or even drinking while riding is probably not the safest thing to do either.
I have been thinking about this while riding the last couple of weeks and noted that above a certain speed - and dependant on the winds of course - I almost can't hear the music because of the draft, even if I put it on maximum volume (which I never normally do). So in this case I am wondering if the draft is affecting my ability to hear on-coming cars and therefore maybe we should only ride under a certain maximum speed…please note: sarcasm…
Let's just take care out there and enjoy our sport in any way we like - with or with-out MP3 players.
Jens
Munich, Germany
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
iPods while riding #2
Ugh. iPods are a grave danger? Seriously? Just because it is unsafe for some people, does not mean it is unsafe for all people. It looks like there is an assumption that anyone who is not a pro is incapable of riding safely with music. Preposterous! Namely because pro's are paid to ride dangerously, if not stupidly.
I live in Arizona. A notoriously unsafe place to drive period. Let alone on a bicycle, in traffic. Believe me, no one is more invested in me living than I am. All of this gives me a very healthy respect for my own limitations. I will never deliberately put myself in any more danger than I have to. Yet I listen to music while I ride. How do think this is possible? Long story short, I find that if you can hear the sound of your tires on the road, over your music you can hear any traffic noise. If someone is blasting their music so that they cannot hear traffic, then they are absolutely being unsafe; and stupid. But one should not say that listening to music is categorically unsafe.
Cory Thompson
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Monday, June 30, 2008
iPods while riding #3
One earbud at a time I say. Not my typical policy to ever wear an iPod - but this year for the first time - when I need a distraction on a flat ride - and was not motivated to go and train - occasionally I've warn one. I admit, it was darn nice to listen! My policy and what I'm trying to promote is right ear only. Let the cars and passer by's be able to communicate. If you keep the volume low and one ear only, I think its okay. It's annoying to come up on somebody and try to say "on your left" - and you surprise them as you pass by.
Beverly Garrity
California
Monday, June 30, 2008
iPods while riding #4
The analogy of riding with earbuds to riding blindfolds doesn't work. Earbuds do not necessarily render one unable to hear the world around them as a blindfold would make one unable to see. Additionally, the state of being completely deaf does not make one incompetent to ride a bicycle. As for the dumb comment, the inability to speak is not a hindrance to cycling either, if that was the slur you were going for please clean it up, these people tend to call their condition 'mute'.
I have ridden with a guy who was a deaf mute from birth and he had developed his other senses to be able to 'hear' riders making attacks from the back of the pack, etc. His other enhanced peripheral vision compensated for his deafness to the point that it seemed he had ESP.
Personally, I like to use an mp3 player when I cycle. I listen to lectures or books on tape at a volume level that allows me to hear both my bicycle and traffic around me. I don't find it to be dangerous at all and it enhances the time I spend on the bike as I feel I am accomplishing work as well. It is reasonable to expect that if one using headphones can hear their chain rubbing slightly on the front derailleur that they should also be able to hear any pertinent traffic noise.
But let's play the Devils Advocate on those ear buds. We're rocking a roaring great album by DA at full volume, one which completely obliterates any other noise from reaching the ears. How much is this endangering someone riding a straight line on the right side of the road? And on the other hand, if you are one who relies on audio clues to remain safe from auto traffic, what are you going to do about the rising use of hybrids and alternative fuel vehicles on the road which make no noise what so ever? For the truly blind, this is a bothersome question.
I'd have to argue that the act of riding with headphones may actually increase the rider's safety. By blocking out audio clues, the rider is forced to heighten their other senses to compensate. It might be that the rider who regularly wears headphones develops better peripheral vision from this compensation than a rider who doesn't.
Bill Hannahs
Wausau, Wisconsin
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Erik Zabel
I'm sure I'm not the only one who noticed this, but has anyone been keeping an eye on Erik's season?
For someone you could be easing off and having a relaxed season, he's riding like there is no tomorrow, I especially noticed his second in the German road championships.
I'm tipping him for a stage win in his final Tour; he is definitely pure class and an absolute gentleman.
Forza Erik!
Steve Stewart-Sturges
Gold Coast, Australia
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Oval bars
Optimal tube sizes have been arrived at over a century of bike development by studying and testing material strengths, shapes, stress flows and ergonomics. Current bike design is a result of this 100+ years of fine tuning. We now have 15+ years experience integrating carbon fibre into bike and component design which has produced some significant improvements but these improvements must always be made with respect for what has been learned so far with steel and aluminium and later titanium. Our further integration of aerodynamics into these bike designs must maintain this same respect for past development.
The industry will not go to pencil sized tubes for handlebars because ergonomics have shown the ideal grip diameter for a round handlebar is 23.8mm (plus some bar tape). Look how close motorcycle and mountain bike grips and car steering wheels mimic this standard diameter.
Because we now have front opening stems, carbon fibre and hydroforming for aluminium, we can increase the grip diameter for added comfort while reducing the frontal area of the bar tops for aerodynamic purposes. Cinelli did this with their Ram and we have done it with our Aergo road bar. Even now we still need to maintain the 23.8mm grip diameter on the drops because the "Big 3" still requires that we install their brake/shifter levers by sliding on their round clamps. Maybe in the future this will evolve.
This respect (and evolutionary infighting) over bike standards is now playing out with bar clamp diameters. While most consumers do not see this fight happening, shops and distributors and manufacturers are significantly impacted as each must carry a significant stock of stem lengths and angles and handlebar widths and shapes as these two items are the key "fit" products on the bike.
For reasons previously discussed, the Italians introduced a new oversized 31.8 standard to handlebar clamps to compensate for their technical failings working aluminium. Mountain bike component companies like Ritchey and FSA added this standard because it makes a certain sense and looks good on a mountain bike with big tubes, suspension forks and big tires going 20-30 kph. This second "standard" doubled shop/distributor/manufacturer stem inventories. Now these same companies are eliminating the original 26.0 standard so they can market their O/S MTB standard for road and aero bikes.
The question I am asking and the industry is facing (whether anyone likes it or realizes it or not) is if this oversized standard is correct for road bikes too.
Studies the past 10 years have shown that what we are ultimately trying to accomplish on a road bike is to combine Power + Comfort + Aerodynamics to produce Speed and reduce Energy. This equation applies regardless if we are studying a time trial or triathlon bike, a road bike or an electric bike. With the worldwide energy situation what it is and where it is going, these bikes will be and should be critical to our future.
To have a single standard is critical to all of us. We need the manufacturer and the distributor and the shop to be able to grab the correct stem and bar to make us as riders powerful, comfortable and aerodynamic. With all the world's body types and the limited frame sizes offered by most bike companies, a single bar/stem standard is critical to controlling their inventory and your costs and speed and energy use.
Maybe the increased frontal area is small (20%) and has a limited impact on your life but spread over all the bikes using bar/stem technology and all the applications for city, road, aero, and electric bikes over many years and many miles, this is an interesting discussion.
Maybe the actual bar/stem frontal area drag difference is 5 seconds per hour for an aero bar where your hands and arms force more air toward the centre. (Can you lose the Tour by 10 seconds?) Maybe it is only 1/2 second per hour for a road bike (45 seconds for the Tour?) or one watt savings per hour on an e-bike (an extra minute cruising time?). The bigger savings by far is properly fitting every rider with a stem/bar standard that makes the most sense. Proper positioning of the rider means 100 times the savings discussed above. This makes the debate significant.
Regarding the size of my intellect, the jury is still out. However, I would like to say I am immensely impressed by the intellect of Anna Maria Simonelli who was able to deduce that the reference to Gilberto Simoni being "pre-Madonna" actually meant "prima donna". Now that is brilliant. (Though I think Gilberto is actually a really nice guy.)
Morgan Nicol
Oval Concepts, Switzerland
Monday, June 30, 2008
ASO's hidden agenda
To Eves comments, fortunately I totally agree with you Eve I just wish there was a TDF fairy that could cast a spell on all those who wish to dispose of the true meaning of the cycling world as we know it.
But these catastrophes in our beautiful sport have been going on since the Tour was implemented way back when.
I just hope someone comes to their senses in the meetings behind those secretly closed doors and can actually visualise the future for all, that is our sport and this the biggest sporting spectacle on our planet.
Let all the shamed riders ride but test them morning noon and night and if they still wish to shame us all ban them for life.
Long live Le Tour
Dave
Melbourne, Australia
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Joe Magnani
Hey -- nice piece on an American cycling pioneer. Here it's interesting to note that, while Magnani was the first cyclist with an American racing license to ride the Giro d'Italia, the winner of the 1924 Giro, Guiseppe Enrici, was in fact born in Pittsburg, PA, which technically made him a U.S. citizen.
Sebastian Lecourt
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Djamolidine Abdoujaparov
Your feature on Abdou was fascinating and very nostalgic for those of us who remember the early nineties and its characters.
A small point of inaccuracy, though, 1991 was not Abdou's first Tour. He rode in 1990, fairly anonymously. He got a name-check on TV for being the first rider off in the prologue, but I don't think he was mentioned again. However, if you look at a video of the final sprint on the Champs Elysees, you can see him finishing fourth on the stage. His sprinting style is still unmistakable. He never rode the Tour de France anonymously again.
June Willing
Glasgow, Scotland
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Djamolidine Abdoujaparov #2
Thank you for your article on one of my favourite riders of the 90s. I'm only sorry it didn't work out better. I've often wondered what's happened to Abdu with the recent influx of ex-Soviet riders emerging (and sadly disappearing) from the sport.
I liked his wild style, throwing the back and forth and the fact that he would rather be a mountain climber than a sprinter (even though he didn't win that stage, I remember his break with Clark Sheehan in stage 8 of the 1995 Tour Du Pont). It's unfortunate that he couldn't afford 30 minutes to let old fans know how he was doing and talk about his career and the current state of cycling.
Kelly Beard
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Giro
Did you somehow forget that Contador had spent the preceding week on vacation, and had absolutely no idea that he was going to be riding in arguably the most mountainous Giro course in years up until literally days before starting?
To belittle his accomplishment because he won without winning a stage is flatly ridiculous. I'm willing to bet the farm that Ricco would not have finished nearly as highly as he did with a similar lack of preparation.
Ray Chen
California, USA
Friday, June 27, 2008
ASO's world domination
Shouldn't the riders and sponsors be allowed to earn a profit, also? I think the riders and sponsors should definitely boycott ASO sponsored races and see who watches the races, then. The riders are making more money, the sponsors are getting more coverage and races, other than the Tour, are getting TV coverage they weren't before the ProTour. So, how can you say the ProTour is just about power for the UCI? The reason ASO wants to break the ProTour is to keep all the money for them selves.
Last I heard monopolies were not good.
David Beach
Los Angeles, USA
Friday, June 27, 2008
Ban Boonen?
Rob,
Anybody with a "real" job who tests positive for cocaine loses their job. Period. No employer is going to ask if the drugs were taken during or outside of work hours. Professional athlete, as members of society, need to have the same rules applied to them as you and me. Quick Step should have fired him, on the spot.
What kind of message does keeping him send? They consider winning so important that they are willing to overlook transgressions? Just because the guy wins races shouldn't mean that he's allowed to do things the average Joe can't.
Antoine Rollin
Atlanta, Ga, USA
Friday, June 27, 2008
A Hollow Tour Victory
Your mid season review clearly shows that whoever wins the Tour de France this year will succeed in claiming a hollow victory. Whereas Landis, Vino, etc. disgustingly robbed fellow riders of just victories, the absence of the world's best team equally robs the 2008 victor of a true victory. This is unfortunate for everyone from the victor on down.
Paul Harke
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Recent letters pages
Letters 2008
- July 4: WADA, Inconsistent Lab Analysis, and Landis, Rabobank and the Tour, ASO and past Tour winners, Landis decision, Teenager mauled by bear in Anchorage, Evans to wear number one in Tour, Experience with UST Mountain Tires, iPods while riding, Erik Zabel, Oval bars, ASO's hidden agenda, Joe Magnani, Djamolidine Abdoujaparov, Giro, ASO's world domination, Ban Boonen?, A Hollow Tour Victory
- June 26: ASO's hidden agenda, ASO's world domination, Ban Boonen?, Gilberto Simoni, Giro d'Italia, iPods while riding, Oval bars, Tour without minimum bike weight rule?, What about Friere
- June 19: ASO and the Vuelta, ASO's world domination, Ban Boonen?, Ban Boonen? Beware the inquisition, Boonen, Boonen vs. Petacchi, Boonen's Tour exclusion, Giro d'Italia, iPods while riding, Oval bars, Road rage incident, Tom Boonen exclusion from Tour de Suisse
- June 13: Tom Boonen and his nose, Apologies from Montreal, Chantal's Philly win, Gilberto Simoni, Boring first week of Grand Tours?, Giro d'Italia, iPods while riding, ASO and the Vuelta, Road rage incident, Astana chain choice
- June 5: Apologies from Montreal, Astana chain choice, Bennati and race radios, Race radio?, Gilberto Simoni, Giro winner, Good result in road rage court case, Helmets in the Giro, Lemond vs. Armstrong, Millar, No, no, you can't take that away from them, Oval bars, Review error, Ricardo Ricco, Road rage incident
- May 29: Bennati and race radios, Helmets in the Giro, Review error, LeMond vs. Armstrong, Losing something in the translation, Millar, Petacchi, Race radio?, Road rage incident, Weight work on the bike
- May 23: Road rage incident, How much will it take?, Paralysed cyclist, Fausto Exparza, David Millar, Basso gets a contract, Weight work, CAS and Petacchi, Shortest TdF, Petacchi & Piepoli
- May 15: Sydney road rage incident, Steegmans lashes out at UCI, Steve Hogg's article, World Cup #3 XC, Where is Chris Horner, Slipstream, Astana and Le Tour, Giro stage 5!, US time trial Champion?, Basso gets a contract, Race radios, CAS ruling on Petacchi, Hamilton's integrity? Dude!, Weight work
- May 8: Race radio?, Ridiculous ruling, What a farce!, CAS ruling on Petacchi, Basso gets a contract, Hamilton's integrity? Dude!, French riders had to give up their jerseys?,
- May 1: Race radio?, Basso gets a contract, Advise needed for Alpe D'Huez, LeMond vs. Armstrong, Bottles, Scars of war, ProTour in Russia! China? Ahem... America?, LeMond's 1989 TdF, Mayo?, Stuart O'Grady Team CSC Cervélo R3 Paris, Have any French riders had to give up their jerseys?
- April 25: Just shut up and ride, ProTour in Russia! China? Ahem...America?, Bottles, LeMond's 1989 TdF, New format for the Vuelta? , Scars of war, LeMond v. Armstrong, No tour for Astana #1, Rock Racing rip off #1, Advise needed for Alpe D'Huez, Stuart O'Grady Team CSC Cervélo R3 Paris
- April 18: Just shut up and ride, USA Track Cycling, Paris-Roubaix, Little Indy 500 - Women's Race Article, Stuart O'Grady Team CSC Cervélo R3 Paris-Roubaix, What's happening to road tubeless?, Thanks Cyclingnews, Bottles, Just think?, Tour of Georgia - Lame, Colavita, No tour for Astana, Clever tactics by McQuaid expose ASO, Suggestions for the little bullies, Rock Racing rip off, LeMond Vs. Trek
- April 10: Suggestions for the little bullies, Pat McQuaid, Clever tactics by McQuaid expose ASO, Just think, Trek vs. LeMond, Rock Racing rip off, Homepage overhaul, Some praise, USA track cycling, Team car order just the first gamble, Come on Greg & Lance, LeMond vs. Armstrong
- April 3: Pat McQuaid, April fools, Carbon Wrap-It System, Sylvain Chavanel, Astana vs. Rabobank vs. Slipstream Chipotle, Cadel Evans, Clever tactics by McQuaid expose ASO, Colavita, Let VDB ride?, Race radios, Rock Racing rip off
- March 27: Riccardo's manner of professionalism, Rock Racing rip off, Chavanel's Paris - Nice shoes, Cadel Evans, Cadel Evans at Paris - Nice, Let VDB ride?, ASO vs. Astana, ASO vs. UCI help me with my memory, Astana vs. Rabobank vs. Slipstream Chipotle, Police kill cyclists,"PRO"cycling teams
- March 20:"Pro"Cycling Teams, AIGCP does have a choice, ASO vs UCI help me with my memory, ASO vs. Astana, Chavanel's Paris - Nice shoes, Kevin van Impe's doping control, Cadel Evans at Paris - Nice, Hamilton, Operacion Puerto, and the ToCA, Paris - Nice: What it could have been, Police kill cyclists, The Astana affair, UCI hypocrisy
- March 13:"Pro"Cycling Teams, ASO vs. Astana, ASO vs. UCI, ASOh well, UCI'll see you later, Cycling fans must let their voices be heard, Denounce ASO's actions for what they are, Hamilton, Operacion Puerto, and the ToCA, Knife between the ribs?, Paris Nice, Police kill cyclists, British track sprinters' helmets?, Rock Racing and Michael Ball, The Astana affair, The real ASO problem, Tour and ASO, UCI - very bad poker players, UCI hypocrisy.
- March 6: Zirbel and the"ride of his life", British track sprinters' helmets, Hamilton, Operacion Puerto and the ToCA, Three grand tours or five monuments?, Rock Racing and Michael Ball, Pro cycling is dead, Paris - Nice, Knife between the ribs?, Doping and the Tour, Astana, the ASO and the UCI, ASO vs. Astana, The Astana affair, ASO vs. UCI vs. AIGCP vs. the non existent riders, The real ASO problem, Denounce ASO's actions for what they are, Sponsorship code of ethics, Where are the other ProTour teams?, ProTour vs. ASO
- February 28: ASO vs. Astana, Passion and sponsorship, Crash or crash through, Pro cycling is dead, Why we must have the ProTour, Rock Racing and Michael Ball, ToC and Rock, The hidden message behind banning Astana, ASO is killing cycling, ASO could be right, The real ASO problem, UCI - draw a line in the sand, ASO has lost the plot, The Astana affair, Astana and ASO/RCS, the Astana decision, Operacion Puerto, Old rider classification
- February 15: Doping controls, Tour of California moving up!, Why I love the Tour of California, Operation Puerto, Astana rejected by ASO, Boycott ASO, ASO - stop the madness, Tour de France, ASO is wrong to exclude Astana, Astana, ASO, and the NFL, Tour de Farce, The hidden message behind banning Astana, Astana exclusion, ASO is killing cycling, Astana out of Tour, ASO has lost the plot
- February 8: Lampre doping controls, Grand Tour Monopoly?, Giro selections, Slipstream Qatar, Allan Davis, Sheldon Brown, Dick Pound to head CAS?, Find out who's leaking lab results, Rock racing
- February 1: UCI vs. Grand Tour war, Best wishes to Anna, The incident, Rock racing & Starbucks, Rock racing Rocks, Rock racing, Landis in NUE, Lance is the best of all time, Sinkewitz logic, Astana for 08 Tour?
- January 25: Rock racing, Time to draw a line in the sand, ASO vs. UCI ProTour, UCI vs. Grand Tour war spills over to European federations, Readers' poll stage races 2007, Cyclist of the year, Team High Road's black kit, Lance is the best of all time, Landis in NUE, Toyota-United abusing USAC team rules?
- January 18: Cadel Evans - returns to training, Cyclist of the Year, DOPING - time to draw a line in the sand, Hincapie in T-Mobile kit, Lance is the best of all time, Readers poll: best stage races 2007, Rock racing, Speaking about Lance, Toyota-United abusing USAC team rules?
- January 11: Armstrong on Landis, Cadel Evans - returns to training, Hincapie in T-Mobile kit, Ivan Basso - why no tough questions?, Reader Poll, Rock & burn racing, Speaking about Lance, Sydor's consistency, The 'Bruyneel philosophy', Toyota-United abusing USAC team rules?
- January 5: Great day for cycling, Sydor's consistency, Hincapie in T-Mobile kit, CA awards misses national series, Thank you, Ivan Basso - why no tough questions?, Cadel Evans - returns to training, Helmets belong on heads, Armstrong on Landis, Will there be a Tour of Missouri?, Roberto Heras, Speaking about Lance, Mayo's B Sample
Letters 2007
- December 27: CA awards misses national series, Armstrong on Landis, Vinokourov's sentence, Vinokourov, Cadel Evans - returns to training, Mayo's B sample to get B test
- December 14: Sydor's consistency, George Hincapie, Helmet straps must be cinched a bit too tight, Will there soon be a sample"C"test?, ProTour, Vino's joke of a suspension, Mafioso McQuaid, Obee and Health Net, Mayo's B sample to get B test, Campagnolo offers its own 'red' shifter, T-Mobile's withdrawal a blow to Jaksche
- December 6: Tschüss T-Mobile, Anquetil, Mayo's B sample to get B test, T-Mobile drop out, Obee and Health Net, Stefano Zanini
- November 30: Anquetil,Mayo's B sample to get B test, Stefano Zanini, Rider's passport, Betting, Jonathan Page, Wake up!!, T-Mobile drop out, Bike design originality
- November 23: Remembering Jacques Anquetil, Done looking back, Mayo's B sample to get B test, Cross crank, Rider's passport, Blood passports and humanity, Fothen's comments on Bettini, Nathan O'Neill , Sinkewitz, Rasmussen blood values, Sponsorship strangeness, Dick Pound better understood, Bike design originality,
- November 16: Nathan O'Neill, Rasmussen blood values, The Crocodile Trophy, Sinkewitz, Drug testing procedures, Rider's passport, The drug issue, Bike design originality , Sponsorship strangeness, Selfishness will ruin cycling
- November 9: The Crocodile Trophy, A little bit of bias here?, Rider's passport, Kasheckin, Positive tests, Drug testing procedures, Marco Pinotti: Engineering a new path, Bike design originality
- November 2: What does this mean?, Le Tour 08, Mayo's B sample, Bike design originality, Trimble, UCI says Mayo case not closed, Drug testing procedures ... and false positives, Kashechkin: controls violate human rights, Drug testing procedures, Mayo, UCI, Kashechkin, et al... Great, now it's coming from both ends, Positive tests, Why even bother with B samples then?, Mayo's positive EPO test, Falling barriers
- October 26: Rider passports & Cadel Evans, Drug testing procedures ... and false positives, Iban Mayo's false positive, Iban Mayo and Landis, Armstrong on Landis, Mayo's B sample, UCI turns Mayo's case into a debaucle, Great...now they hand pick the results, No justice for Mayo, UCI says Mayo case not closed, Bike design originality, 2006 Tour de France, A bad week for cycling, A fitting end to the season
- October 19: 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?
- 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.
