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Letters to Cyclingnews - July 24, 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.
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
Gerrans
Quotes from Egoi Martinez on Cyclingnews:
"Fifty kilometres before the finish Gerrans began to say that he was not in good form, that he lacked strength, and that he would not be able to fight for the stage victory," Martínez told Spanish newspaper Marca. "Gerrans said that he would settle for reaching the finish line with me and being second. So when he was not able to follow on the ascent to the Prato Nevoso, we waited for him."
So how about it? Does Gerrans have anything to say about his alleged behaviour in the most recent stage? If Martinez is being truthful, then Gerrans outright lied to him about his intentions for the stage. It's one thing to pretend being tired to fool the competition, but it's quite another thing to outright lie to your competitors, particularly if they did him the favour of waiting for him to get back on! Very low class....
Ken Wilson
Canada
Monday, July 21, 2008
One question & two predictions about the Tour
Question - the ‘Souvenir Henri Desgrange’ is described as a prize given to the rider who crosses the highest peak on the Tour route each year. This is most often the Galibier, where the memorial to Desgrange is located. Records indicate that Schumacher won it this year, crossing the Galibier today before the rest. However, this year, the highest peak was Bonette-Restefond, was it not? Why did Augustyn not get the prize? God knows he probably needs the $$ to buy Barloworld a new bike after dumping his down the screed slope not 5 minutes later.
Predictions - I think Menchov is the only real threat to Evans winning right now...based solely on the results of the first time trial. Frank Schleck, Sastre and Kohl all finished about a minute and a half back of Evans during stage 4. Saturday’s TT is almost double the distance, so one could logically conclude that Evans (as long as he says cool and focused) will take back 2 - 3 minutes on all of them.
Prediction #2 - Seems to me that Schumacher has potential to win the Tour one day soon. The man can climb and time-trial. Now if he can only stay on his bike.
Tom Wojcik
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
A bike by any other name
I reckon I've worked out what's causing the problems with use of banned substances in the Saunier-Duval team (Iban Mayo last year, Riccò and co this year)...its the bike!
Why? Because they ride the Scott Addict. I reckon Scott just needs to change the name of their top flight rig to something like: the Clean, or the Anti-Dope or the Just Say No, and their problems will evaporate like ice in a summer alpine breeze.
Rick O'Brien
Sydney Australia
Saturday, July 19, 2008
ASO, doping and Astana
After 3 doping stories at this year's Tour de France I find that ASO's political stance "against" doping to be a bit of a joke. They push away the UCI with a decent background of anti-doping work through the biological passport among other things. They exclude Astana based upon "doping practices" while Astana have the same in house anti-doping protocol as Garmin-Chipotle, Columbia, and CSC-Saxo Bank.
The ASO lets teams in like Barloworld, Saunier Duval - Scott, and Liquigas all of which have no programs in place. And now ASO are shouting about why people are still doping! Well, maybe you should let in those teams that are united in a fight against doping instead of excluding them from the race because of something that a different team that happened to have the same colours and name did for the 2 previous years.
I'm sorry but ASO is a joke, and until they stop being complete hypocrites I cannot take them seriously!
Samuel Brower
Normal, IL
Monday, July 21, 2008
ASO, doping and Astana #2
Well buddy, I'm not watching the Tour this year and am I missing anything? Hell no. Same story as last year except with different players. Contador is the best out there and ASO is still wrong for not allowing the best team to ride.
I get it alright, new drugs will always come out and will be used by many riders until testing catches up. So here is to Riccò and all the rest!
Jeff Miranda
Thursday, July 17, 2008
ASO, doping and Astana #3
Do a little research on Johan Bruyneel and his days riding for Manolo Saiz during which the former earned the nickname "The Hog.”
Astana is perpetuating the culture of professional cycling that applauded Lance Armstrong for chasing down Fillipo Simeoni at the '05 Tour. I, for one, am glad that ASO flexed some muscle in the direction of Bruyneel (and the retired Armstrong). Gee, do those guys feel bullied? Karma is a tough, fellas.
Michael De Serb
Los Angeles, CA
Monday, July 21, 2008
Beating a dead horse, but...
I suppose this is in no way a novel thought, but shouldn't Liquigas and Barloworld join Saunier Duval and now be out this years race and the 2009 TdF, following the Astana model (but ignoring the Rabobank, Cofidis, etc free pass model)?
Maybe the question is moot. As I've been saying for a year, you'll stop doping if TdF declares that any rider testing positive will result in the immediate removal of his team from the race and no invite for anyone associated with the team the following year.
Harsh? Yes, but what's missing is real management and team accountability. Hit them in the pocketbook and they'll invest time and money testing their riders and keeping a motherly watch. This level of management accountability is maybe easier to understand, but punish the other riders?
I wonder how many team-mates of the riders that tested positive discussed doping and asked the questions, set the proper expectations, and supported a drug-free culture? And I don't discount the power of peer pressure, knowing that if you test positive, 50 other people (riders, support staff, management) will greatly suffer. I'd bet a positive rider might need police protection from the team!
This approach will only work and be fair if it is announced right after this year's Tour. And of course every race organizer (now that the ProTour is dead) can make a similar declaration at the end of each of their events.
Darrel Stickler
San Mateo, California, USA
Boycott le Tour and Olympics
I find it interesting that you raise Thomas Jefferson in relation to human rights; this would be the same Thomas Jefferson who owned slaves! Obviously Thomas Jefferson was not too concerned about the rights of his slaves.
Have you asked yourself the question of what has happened to your freedom of speech under the Patriot act? What about Habeas Corpus?
If you or any athlete does not agree with the obligations you must abide by when you enter China, don’t go. I think they call that a boycott.
Topic for 25th July: The death penalty and cycling, yay or nay?
Kane Harnden
Australia
Friday, July 18, 2008
Boycott le Tour and Olympics #2
It’s a sporting event, not a chance to recruit. And don’t tell me that America doesn’t censor what it finds to be dangerous to its own ideology.
But no because it’s the Christian Bible then you should be able to take crate loads over. China is far from perfect and yes it’s silly to ban something like the bible but its their country and they make the rules, live with it.
Richard Hinsliff
Friday, July 18, 2008
Boycott le Tour and Olympics #3
Charlie Mack, as Thomas Henry Huxley is reputed to have said of Bishop Wilberforce during debates on Darwinism, "Lord, he has delivered himself into my hands."
Without casting an opinion upon the gist of your argument, you might want to reconsider your opinion of the French, and the brilliance of your own country's constitution, in light of the fact that it was the French philosopher Voltaire who said "I may not agree with what you say"
Thomas Jefferson had nothing to do with the matter, your Founding Fathers did not have commerce with China in mind when they adopted the essential elements of your constitution, and to claim some sacred rights from a document of that age - of another time - perhaps betrays stagnant thoughts rather than the immutable truth of things.
Alex Wheaton
Friday, July 18, 2008 17:09:14 +0930
Boycott le Tour and Olympics #4
To begin with Voltaire actually said that quote.
Secondly Americans should not let their cultural imperialism dictate the terms of others political and social lives. China has a right to their own view and yes America has a right to theirs also. I can assume that you would not be too keen if every athlete was handed out a copy of Mao's little red book or a copy of the Bhagavad Ghita, Tibetan Book of the Dead or the Koran. This is not a game of ideals and of hegemony, if certain athletes are keen to have a Bible with them let them bring their own.
Just so you know I have faith and it is strong enough that I don't feel the need to shout if from the roof tops or choose not to fully understand the nature of the separation of church and state. I suggest you read a book called The Godless Constitution.
Let the sports men and women be sports men and women.
Max Lunt
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Cascade Cycling Classic accident
The incident in Cascade involving Ben Brooks, a former team-mate of mine, could have easily been avoided if the race organizers had placed something over the wide gap in the centre of the cattle guard which ran parallel to the direction in which we were riding. Most cattle guards, world wide, have gaps that run perpendicular to the direction of the road. That is fine, but when there is a large gap in the centre which is parallel to the direction in which one is racing, it's unacceptably dangerous, especially when it can easily be covered.
Ben is an experienced and competent bike rider. When one is going at 40 mph in a bunch, it isn't always possible to avoid the unexpected. A "normal" cattle guard constitutes a normal hazard, but the cattle guard in question was far from normal. It was extremely dangerous. As the race is run regularly along the same rout, I believe that it is the organizers responsibility to cover that gap. It would be easy to do, and be in everyone's best interests. Obviously organizers can't eliminate every hazard, but they should eliminate the ones they can.
Darren Lill
BMC Pro Cycling Team
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Cleaning up cycling, a suggestion
Dear Cyclingnews,
I suggest that you go back through all the pages surrounding the Tour and add a strike-through over the names and deeds of the doping competitors. It galls me that so much was written about these riders' feats and that coverage continues to exist on-line unblemished.
Adding the strike-throughs won't rewrite the stories, but it will be an expression of our community's revulsion. As it stands all of us are burdened with the parallel story lines: what we thought and felt before the cheats were revealed, and how the narrative was changed since. The pain we feel is largely a result of holding these simultaneous threads in our minds. Striking-throughs would make clear their deceit as well as our proper reaction.
I am sure that if you take this step, other web sites will do so as well. If we, the true fans and participants of cycling, make clear that only a disgrace that destroys a personal history is the future of doping, it will expire.
And in the unlikely event that a rider is cleared, removing the strike-throughs would be simple.
Fred Hawkins
Friday, July 18, 2008
Recent letters pages
Letters 2008
- 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 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.
