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Letters to Cyclingnews - May 15, 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.
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
Sydney road rage incident
I was saddened to hear of the cyclists injured in the road rage incident near the Sydney Airport. I have family in Sydney and visit often - I always bring my road bike with me to enjoy some off season training. As an outsider it has always been surprising to me that a country that has produced so many top level cyclists is so difficult and dangerous to ride in.
The conduct of Australian motorists toward cyclists, particularly around Sydney, is very poor. The media coverage the incident received in the SMH further indicates a pervasive bias against cyclists. The comments, as reported, from Anne Morphett of the NRMA are tantamount to blaming the cyclists for the assault. She should be held accountable for these statements. I hope that the driver is prosecuted to the full extent. It is fortunate the injuries were not more significant.
Steven Murray
Vancouver BC, Canada
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Sydney road rage incident #2
I am astounded. I believe that the driver who caused the horrific mass crash in Sydney should be charged with nothing less than attempted murder. I am anxiously awaiting the news that will say police have captured the driver.
Cory Thompson
Scottsdale, AZ, US
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Sydney road rage incident #3
How many cyclist injuries and deaths due to the ignorance of motorists will it take before we really get seriously organized and demand change. If every cycling enthusiast (racers included, from bottom cat to pros), as well as every employee of businesses that sell product or services to cyclists (Trek, Orbea, Shimano, etc.) joined forces to consistently lobby government representatives, things would definitely change.
Yet, over and over, we continue to bitch about the dangerous environment, and only a minority of heroes attempt to effect changes. Its time that cyclists, around the globe, consistently write and call upon their government officials on a daily basis to demand safety for cyclists on the road, and extreme punishment for motorists that do not respect the safety of cyclists. Only our collective critical mass of opinion will result in a force to effect real change. The archaic old status quo of bike advocacy, such as bike to work month, sporadic critical mass rides, and safe riding education in schools will never make a significant improvement in our safety. Beyond intense organization in significant numbers, what alternative is there? Maybe vigilante justice is a plausible option? Cyclists packing concealed firearms may give insensitive motorists pause to consider the ramifications of their actions.
Doug Oates
Denver, CO, USA
Monday, May 12, 2008
Steegmans lashes out at UCI
Steegmans has got it right. It appears that a number of, dare I say, journalists prize their instantaneous by-lines more than they value journalistic integrity. If their careers and reputations could be as easily trashed as the pro cyclists, they might think twice about printing 'shady whispers and innuendo' leaked by 'anonymous sources.'
The riders do their homework, and so should the writers. When I see articles like the one Steegmans is railing about, I note the by-line, and instinctively question future dispatches from that writer. When that writer or publication continues in such a "tabloid-esqe" style, I write him/them off for good. I guess it is possible to trash a writer's reputation after all. I suppose I could write his publisher and let him know I'll not be buying their rag anymore.
Just doing my own due diligence.
R. Paik
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Steve Hogg's article
I've been an avid reader of the form and fitness section for years and have appreciated your insights and knowledge. I'm a physiotherapist in the U.S. and specialize in cycling related pathologies. Your recent article regarding fit is very much appreciated. Thanks for the time and patience so evident in your responses. Keep up the good work.
Dave Taggart, P.T.
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Thursday, May 8, 2008
World Cup #3 XC
The start list includes 158 starters but the race photos show a rider with plate 161 at the front during the start. Also if you look at the race photos this rider is at or near the front throughout the race. #1 how does someone with plate #161 get a front row starting position? World cup numbers are usually in given based on your current world cup standing and you are lined up that way.
Joseph Marshall
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Where is Chris Horner
Can someone let me know what is wrong with Horner?
Not racing anywhere after Georgia, I can't find any news, is he hurt? Not in the Giro line-up? I thought he would be a shoe in for the Giro. No racing in Dunkirk either, please help me with his current situation. Thanks,
Justin Ringling
Westerly RI, USA
Monday, May 12, 2008
Slipstream, Astana and Le Tour
After stage 5 of the Giro, Slipstream is ranking 20 and 21 out of 22 in the two team's competitions. Enough about Slipstream having earned a Tour invite. Keep them if you want, but also invite Astana. It's time to take decision making out of the hands of a bunch of jaded, fat, old men and make the sensible choices. There are no dopers on Astana. If you want to kick out another team, make it CSC. Their manager, by his own admission, won the Tour by doping.
Tom Lewis
Smyrna, DE, USA
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
Giro stage 5!
Pavel Brutt was amazing today! His grit at the end of the uphill finish was fantastic. I know Millar's mechanical "helped," but Pavel really ground it out for the win. I love the Tinkoff team and enjoy watching them mature into a major force in cycling.
Oleg Tinkoff - Thank you for your vision of the team and your dedication to the sport of cycling.
Zachary Kelly
Wednesday, May 14 2008
Giro stage 5! #2
Oh dear, Millar "nearly gets a stage" and then snaps his chain, I think I believe in Kharma!
Kevin Warham
Thursday, May 15, 2008
US time trial Champion?
Dave Zabriske is the reigning US Pro Time Trial Champ, yet Levi was also wearing a red, white and blue skin suit in the TTT today. How does that work? Either way congrats to Slipstream on an amazing performance! Has a minor league team ever pulled off a victory like that before in a GT? Not that I can remember.
Patrick McQueen
Seattle, WA, USA
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Basso gets a contract
I absolutely agree David Millar is a disgrace to the sport, the fact he is allowed to wear the British national champion's jerseys for both road and time trials really sticks in my throat. The guy puts himself on a pedestal making out he is some goody two shoes reformed druggie and thinks it's acceptable. Worst still English speaking magazine hold the bloke up as some kind of doping 'guru' and allow him endless pages of preaching. Well let's remind everybody..... A leopard never changes the colour of its spots!!
As for Liquigas, obviously a case of contractual suicide here once the ball gathers pace are their sponsors going to stay? As for tearing up the ethical code, can't see ASO accepting this one come Tour time. What are their management thinking? Or is it a short cut for Liquigas to leave the sport?
It appears to me cycling has its head in sand and loves making a fool of itself.
Ian Watts
England
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Race radios
Race Radios are part of modern day racing and there are reasons for taking them away and keeping them; I am for keeping them in the sport mainly because if you take them away, the sport will result in being nothing but a parade of 180 plus riders (albeit at 25MPH +) for the length of the course.
If radios are taken away, the peloton will not allow anyone to get away because there will be no way of knowing their lead.
JC
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Race radios #2
Referring to the letter from Thomas Brown:
He suggests that riders in the pro peloton are incapable of judging for themselves whether to let a break get away. These riders compete in races year round and know each other's abilities. Also they can look at the current placing after each stage to know who are their real rivals. Race radios are a fairly recent phenomenon.
I remember Deutch Telekom started with tiny mobile phones, which were banned because they interfered with race radio. Race radio (e.g. radio tour) is the communication from the officials' cars. It broadcasts the number of a rider who punctures, crashes, requests assistance, etc. Team cars are thus informed if one of their riders is in trouble. But car-to-rider communication is something different, and it takes the intelligence out of racing. Isn't it boring to watch some remote-controlled robot obeying the voice in his ear? Let them compete on their own merits.
Liz Cochrane
Malaga, Spain
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Race radios #3
So, I wondered, will this put the chalk board guy from and the moto rider out of a job? If the riders in the peloton can't know what's happening with the riders in the break, can the riders in the break get to know if they are increasing or decreasing their lead and by how much? Will the teams position someone alongside the road with their own radios and chalkboards to let the riders know what's going on? Will chalkboards become equivalent to doping? How about hand signs? Flags?
Will the law of unintended consequences hold if the ban on radios goes through?
Never let it be said that any bureaucracy kept up with technology or allowed anyone else to either.
Gary
Denver, CO, USA
Thursday, May 8, 2008
CAS ruling on Petacchi
I can only subscribe to the other readers' opinions. It is like stating that a woman is half-pregnant... Indeed, there's no such thing. One is 100% guilty or not guilty at all.
If the latter is the case, and CAS confirmed explicitly that Alessandro Petacchi didn't and wouldn't cheat, he should go free. If he would have been found guilty of a doping offence, he should have been received the full treatment and he should have been sacked by his team in the meantime.
Also odd (and no longer acceptable) is the fact that some UCI member countries (Monaco in this case) apply other standard. A rider caught with higher level of Salbutamol and also "caught" during the same Giro, is left alone and allowed to continue racing just because he happens to have a license of a more lenient federation. That's absolutely crazy and typically, UCI or WADA apparently see no harm in these double standards.
Finally, even when one could live with the fact that Petacchi forfeits his Giro wins and final points classification, this issue has nothing to do with the other races he took part in since and the wins he's racked up, and therefore he should be allowed to keep these victories on his palmares. I would be very disappointed that Team Milram would decide to fire this rider just because of the witch-hunt-like atmosphere currently all too present in professional cycling.
Paul Larivière
Mechelen, Belgium
Wedneday, May 14, 2008
Hamilton's integrity? Dude!
Why let the facts get in the way of a good rant?
Tyler Hamilton never once suggested that he had a chimera, this is a myth propagated by the lazier sort of tabloid journalist. Chimera was one of a list of things that may cause a false positive which was stated as a reason why a proper false positive study should be done on the homogenous blood doping test. It amazes me that any such test could ever stand without such a study taking place.
I don't know whether Tyler Hamilton doped or not but I'm sure that the tests he 'failed' don't conclusively prove his guilt.
Mark Brunning
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Weight work
I recently found your site and would like to add my 2 bobs worth. I am 54 years old and around about my 50th birthday I was introduced to cycling and was hooked. However, I found myself being the number one hill slug; everyone would have to wait at the top of the hill for me. I search the net and asked questions, enrolled in a gym and did lots of leg presses. But it didn't seem to make that much difference. What could I do?
In my previous life I was a runner and part of my training was wearing a weighted harness. I did enjoy success with this type of training. So where was my harness? After some searching I found it covered in dust in the back of the garage. Because it was made out of leather and in a bad state I had new one made this time in seat belt material.
To shorten the story I now carry approx 36kg of extra weight on the bike. All of my training rides are conducted with the weights. Earlier this year I took the weights off to join the Sunday morning bunch ride. The first part of the ride was nice and sedate then on the return trip home the boys where getting restless. All of a sudden it was on; break aways etc. Normally I play no part in this as I get spat out the back and have to limb home. But I did notice something different and I quickly found out. I hit the pedals and I simply could not believe the power I had. I caught the break away and went pass them, powered up the hills and then it was just me and another rider who was some 20 yrs younger slugging it out for the sheep station.
None of the others could match me on the hills in fact I was asked to provide a urine sample!
I arrived home with a grin from ear to ear and I knew it was the weights.
Most of my riding mates know that I train with the weights and they think I am mad. Yes out on the country roads in the dark is not easy on your own but I now know the advantage of the weight work. I gues my biggest trouble is that I still think I am about 25 and trying to ride lance Armstrong of my wheel.
Well that is my experience with the weights and I love it.
Bryan Kirby
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Recent letters pages
Letters 2008
- 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.
