Letters to Cyclingnews - October 17, 2008

While Lance Armstrong's return to professional cycling might be the big news at the moment, Cyclingnews readers have their say on the other issues affecting their favourite sport.

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.

Attitude to cheats
Doping
Lifetime bans
Solutions to doping problems
LeMond's power test
Rahsaan Bahati

Attitude to cheats

Why does a tearful doping cheat invoke thoughts of sympathy amongst the cycling tragic spectator community? Does anyone really believe that Bernard Kohl is sorry for doping? No, he is sorry that he was caught and is now labeled a cheat. Perhaps we should be sympathetic toward a rider who comes clean of his own volition, but due to the nature of the beast, this rarely happens.

Take David Millar for example. He is everyone's favourite son due to his outspoken attitude to clean up the sport, but this has all been fueled by his own dark past and was initiated only after he was caught. The question begs asking, 'would he ever have come clean if he had never been caught?'... I seriously doubt it. I applaud the move to bring in four-year bans for doping positives. This is effectively a life ban and these athletes need to know that we have no interest in applauding their proficiency at riding a bike if it is the product of cheating.

Scott Hazelton
Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia.
Thursday, October 16, 2008

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Doping

Isn't it coincidental that whenever a rider, in this instance Kohl, gets caught and admits doping, they all seem to have just started taking drugs just prior to being caught. None of their teams or managers know anything adverse? And they all conducted doping on their own... hell, let's buy this new product over the internet and stick it in our bodies! Most guilty riders have produced some amazing performances prior yet only seem to succumb to foreign influences before the big events. How many top named riders have been caught out this year? In these times of a cleaner peloton, folks, we're all being fooled.

Simon Smith
New Zealand
Thursday, October 16, 2008

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Lifetime bans

I think a lifetime ban is excessive. I thought it would be interesting to see if the UCI would permanently ban from any world or national champsionships any rider rider who doped. No, you cannot represent your country or compete to be your country's champion if you dope. Ever! (Ok, for five years, at least). I think every intentional doping case proved true should carry this ban.

Event organisers should also start a practice that if you are sanctioned for doping you will NOT be permitted to ride that event again for five years after the incident. Maybe they should be banned, if they dope at a any of the three tours from all of them for 5 years! Sure, you can eventually continue to make a living out of cycling, but it won't be by tarnishing the Tour, the Giro or the Vuelta! Organizers can do that for the Classics, too! You dope for one Classic, you cannot ride any Classics for 5 yaers! That, I think would be a big-time deterrent!

Manolo Oliveras
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Sunday, October 12, 2008

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Lifetime bans #2

Whilst I completely agree with Peter Schmidt's 'Enough is enough' sentiments, it's probably unlikely that a lifetime ban would be enforceable as it is a form of 'restraint of trade'. Personally I'd prefer concerted efforts from governments to criminalise doping so that it is seen as a form of fraud or embezzlement and carry the appropriate jail sentences. To me the current situation seems silly, in reality sports governing bodies do not have the 'teeth' to really penalise transgressors - that should be left to the law. Governing bodies do not want to pursue cheats through the courts, for many reasons, it is better to take the decision out of their hands.

A few cheat and learn their lesson. These people can become 'poacher-turned-gamekeeper', good examples and ambassadors for a clean sport. Depriving them of the chance to do what they do best [and in many cases the only thing they can do!] is harsh and in most countries probably illegal.

Even murderers are given parole, whether you agree with it or not and sadly nations with a death penalty also have the highest murder rates. Lifetime bans would probably not stop doping as professional sports-folk are generally not the brightest people on the planet due to their rather narrow and 'unreal' lifestyle.

Dope is perhaps an appropriate name for a drug-cheat.

Igam Ogam
Monday, October 13, 2008

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Solutions to doping problems

An excellent letter. The solution is simple. A six-year ban for the first offense. That may likely ruin a career. A lifetime ban for the second offense. The result is no more cheaters on the roads. But, the governing bodies have no courage to really and truly rid the sport of the cheater with currently weak penalties.

Money should be poured into research that will keep up with newer drugs' detection. The top riders of each stage plus random no-notice testing of others in the peloton should get tested each racing day and on rest days and and an unannounced day prior to each pro-race. Then you wouldn't have to worry about raiding hotel rooms.

Roy L Miller
Tuesday, October 14, 2008

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LeMond's power test

Hi, Any sports physiologist or doctor know if LeMond's statements below are true (the bold and underlined parts)? If they are true, why not use them in finding cheaters that beat the system? "You'd get a continuous output of power recorded during a Tour stage and then if you found someone who had a VO2 Max of 80 and he was doing 500 watts for 30 minutes, you'd know that that was statistically and mathematically impossible to do. So then he's positive - boom! - he's out - that's doping. That's it - it's simple." ".....Cycling is so black and white when it comes to watts and we can have that data now - it's not a mystery. Last year there were climbers doing 450 watts but weighing 58-60kg - that's nearly 8 watts per kilo. That's impossible - unless we've all had some kind of genetic mutation over the past 15 years..."

Bruce Nilson
Saturday, October 11, 2008

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LeMond's power test #2

Two years ago I was thinking that Greg LeMond should just give it a rest because he was just embarrassing himself. However, with the latest positives for CERA and LeMond's proposal of performance based testing I am becoming a convert. The latest string of positive tests for the CERA type of EPO shows how the minds of many (possibly very many) pro riders work. Not too many years ago, cheaters were tolerated by the peloton. Why? Probably because lots of them were cheating as well.

Now there is a much more outspoken condemnation of the cheaters by their peers. Now there is much better and frequent testing. Now there are stronger penalties and massive public condemnation for positive tests. But they continue to cheat. Why? Because they think they can get away with it. Why do they think that? Because they know or think they know lots of guys who do get away with it. Hey the CERA guys were laughing until the Tour. Is CERA the last word in EPO? Of course not. It's just the last new thing until the new new thing. At which point a bunch of guys will think that they won't be caught and will then try to cheat. Why? Because people are people.

The riders tomorrow will be no more moral than the riders in the past. Future riders will be just as selfish, just as big risk takers as riders in the past. The only thing that can change is the chance of getting caught. Mr. LeMond's idea has merit in that it jumps over the whole issue of performance enhancing drugs and gets right to enhanced performance. Those that would have cheated will probably still want to cheat but it will be harder. Instead of changing their chemistry they will try to change their data. This should be easier to prevent because the chemical thing is a losing battle for the good guys. It won't be easy just because it is mechanics and electronics (just look at the cheating in NASCAR) but it should be easier. I think Greg deserves credit for thinking "outside the box". It Sounds like an excellent idea to me.

Leen Tuk Hamilton
Ontario, Canada
Friday, October 10, 2008

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Rahsaan Bahati

Thank you for publishing the feature on Rahsaan Bahati in the October 14th edition of Cyclingnews. In a professional peloton that is more homogeneous than the Republican National Convention, it is refreshing to read about riders who come from different backgrounds and who face unique social challenges in the sport. Say what you want about Rock Racing, but they are doing a darn good job getting attention. Maybe I'm just overly amused by the fancy kits, shiny cars, and superficial "bad guy" persona, but I like watching them race. The purists will scream bloody murder at this, but part of me wants to see them in more televised races. Unlike Lance Armstrong's return, they would add a new, diverse element I feel is lacking in the sport.

Sam Robinson
Denver, Colorado
Thursday, 16 Oct 2008

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Rashaan Bahati #2

I noticed in Phil Sheehan's article, "Bahati paving the way" that he mentions several black riders, but one he seems to have missed of, and I like to mention, is Nelson Vails, the first African-American to medal in the Olympic Games (1984 Los Angeles). Being from Reading, Pennsylvania I had the opportunity to watch Nelson compete first hand several times at many world class events, at the nearby Lehigh Valley Velodrome. I thought it would be amiss not to mention this top flight althete who not only paved the wave for African Amercans in the sport as a role model but also exmplified sportmanship for athletes of any race in the sport of cycling.

Tom Reppert
Tuesday, October 14, 2008

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Rahsaan Bahati #3

I enjoyed your article on Rahsaan Bahati. After taking some neighbour kids to watch the local training criterium, they had one question: "where are the black people?" They noticed very quickly that they were the only black people at the venue, and that there were none in the race. I hope Rahsaan continues to provide a positive role model for any youth, espicially minority children, who may be watching. I also hope he does something after retiring that allows him to use his uniquenss to bring more minorities into the sport.

Stephen Cummings
Pittsburgh PA
Tuesday, October 14, 2008

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Recent letters pages

Letters 2008

• October 10: Enough is enough, Thomas Bach's comments, Recent positives, Riccò confesses to using EPO, Baden Cooke's comment, Holczer to sue Schumacher, Life bans for doping, Advice to Contador, My own comeback, Better Borat than Vinokourov, Lance has a Michael Jordan complex, Armstrong's busted former teammates, Astana, Lance vs Basso, Say it ain't so, Frank!, Leipheimer's best Grand Tour
• October 3: Another Armstrong Special: There comes a time, Guilty by association, Lance Armstrong returning, Armstrong comeback, Armstrong should be applauded, Lance is back, Armstrong and Astana, Mr Armstrong and SRAM, The resurrection of Lance, Armstrong's return
• September 25: The Armstrong Special: Armstrong obligations, Armstrong comeback, Armstrong riding for Astana, Armstrong's return, Guilty by association, Lance Armstrong and Taylor Phinney, The resurrection of Lance
• September 18: Armstrong come back, All round classification, Madiot's need to explain himself, Does doping work?, Exciting racing!, Contador and the Vuelta, Lance on Astana?, Say it isn’t So Lance!, ARD not looking forward to Armstrong return, Guilty by association, Garzelli, Scott Spark project bike
• September 12: Does doping work?, Scott Spark ultralight bike, Cadel stays with Silence-Lotto?, Vuelta, Giro, Tour triple, All round classification, Editorialising / opinion within articles, Do it twice or until you get it right, Olympic mountain biking, Say it isn't so Lance!, Armstrong come back, BMX....That's all?
• September 4: BMX....That's all?, Olympic mountain biking, Cadel stays with Silence-Lotto?, Head tube logos at Olympic Games, Fabio Baldato's premature retirement, Does doping work?, Cadel Evans and the Beige Jersey, Team Australia helmets, British track team's Olympic Games medals Pro cycling sponsorship
• August 29: BMX, Carlos Sastre, NRC Calendar, U-23 Championship road race fiasco, Therapeutic use exemptions - please explain, Phil Liggett encounter, John Fahey and Jacques Rogge on doping, Aussie Allan Davis?, Pro cycling sponsorship
• August 28: US cyclists and masks, Cadel, Cadel Evans and the Beige jersey, Levi Leipheimer’s Bike, Doping, Team Australia helmets, Lance and the doping debate, British Olympic track medals, BMX....That's all?
• August 22: Spanish federation questions Leipheimer's bronze, Hushovd's Look, Cadel's Injury, NRC Calendar, Phil Liggett encounter, British Olympic track medals, Therapeutic Use Exemptions - please explain, Truvativ HammerSchmidt, Carlos Sastre, Cadel Evans and the Beige Jersey
• August 21: Levi Leipheimers Bike, John Fahey and Jacques Rogge on doping, Cycling out of the Olympics, Team Australia helmets, Scott-American Beef excluded from Vuelta, Doping & money, U-23 National Championship RR fiasco, US Cyclists and masks, World Road race championships national quotas
• August 19: Therapeutic Use Exemptions - please explain, Carlos Sastre, Riccò confesses to using EPO, Lance and the doping debate, Cadel Evans and the Beige Jersey, Bring back bonus seconds to liven le Tour, Crank Length formula, Thank you, Confused
• August 14: Cycling out of the Olympics, U-23 Championship Road Race Fiasco, Phil Liggett encounter, WADA chief John Fahey, Moreno, John Fahey and Jacques Rogge on doping, Beijing Road Race, World Road race championships national quotas, Scott-American Beef excluded from Vuelta, US Cyclists and masks, Team Australia helmets
• August 7: Riccò confesses to using EPO, Carlos Sastre, Contador, A question for Susan Westemeyer, Confused, Lance and the doping debate, Accountability and cycling teams, Crank length formula, Bring back bonus seconds to liven le Tour, Yet another...Manual Beltran, ASO, doping and Astana
• July 31: A bike by any other name, Accountability and cycling teams, Andy Schleck "killing moves", Anti-doping chief calls Tour tests a success?, ASO, doping and Astana, Bad blood, Boycott le Tour and Olympics, Carlos Sastre, Bring back bonus seconds to liven le Tour, Canadian eh! Ryder Hesjedal, Cleaning up cycling, a suggestion, Confused, Crank Length Formula
• July 25: Confused, Consistency please, Damages paid, Dave Russell passes away, David Miller on Riccò, Do you believe?, Doping, ASO vs UCI, what is going on?, Evans to wear number one in Tour, How does Andy Schleck "kill all the moves"?
• July 24: Gerrans, One question & two predictions about the Tour, A bike by any other name, ASO, doping and Astana, Beating a dead horse, but..., Boycott le Tour and Olympics, Cascade Cycling Classic accident, Cleaning up cycling, a suggestion
• July 17 - Edition 2: The effect of time bonuses, Cascade Cycling Classic accident, Confused, Boycott le Tour and Olympics, Alison Starnes diary, Is McQuaid interested in Cycling at all?, More involvement needed from CPA, Teams ditch UCI, Yet another...Manual Beltran, LeMond: Cycling doesn't need UCI, Dave Russell passes away
• July 17 - Edition 1: Tour mountain cats, Is Pereiro getting a bum wrap?, Popovych! Where the bloody hell are you?, Evans' team-mates, Evans to wear number one in Tour, Poor quality of competition, Tour climbs, What if…, Riccó uses outdated bike in ITT, Fabian Wegmann's electronic Dura Ace problems?, Hushovd's Look, Stage 10 coverage was a treat!, Tour de France accident, EPO is back on the menu boys!, Consistency, please
• July 15: Tour de France: Stage 3 - The Badger is back!, Thor Hushovd's Look, Riccó uses outdated bike in ITT, Boycott le Tour and Olympics, Astana and the Tour, Romain Feillu, Cascade Cycling Classic accident, LeMond: Cycling doesn't need UCI, Tour de France accident, We Might As Well Win Review, Evans shoe covers, Pure climbers, Why on earth Danielson?, Historical information, Stefan Schumacher loses yellow, Sylvain Chavanel, Yet another...Manual Beltran, Stage 10 coverage was a treat!
• July 10: Stefan Schumacher, LeMond: Cycling doesn't need UCI, Excellent article - ASO v's UCI, Insulting comment, Romain Feillu, Pure climbers are they a thing of the past?, Evans and shoe covers, Evans to wear number one in Tour, Djamolidine Abdoujaparov, Experience with UST Mountain Tires, Boycott le Tour and Olympics, Astana and the Tour, Riders stuck in the middle, Oval bars, Landis decision
• 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 Riccò, 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.

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