Letters to Cyclingnews - October 24, 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.

Doping
McQuaid's approach
Re-testing samples
Chris Horner
Germans pull the plus
Basso and Liquigas
Does doping work?
Lifetime bans
LeMond's power test
Rashaan Bahati

Doping

The doping issues coming out of the world of cycling seem to be endless, yet the focus is limited to the cyclists.

However, getting hold of and using illegal performance-enhancing drugs is not easy. Someone must supply the goods, make sure that they are used properly, and that they are used in a manner that is not detectable. I cannot imagine that Ricco, Sella, Kohl or any other of the CERA-using pros just strolled into a pharmacy and asked for a two-week supply of the drug - nor can they have fooled some doctor to accidentally prescribe any illegal drug that they then pick up at the local Boots.

So why just focus on the ill-behaving cyclists? What about the doctors, the middle-men, the manufacturers, and everyone else involved? Surely, they have played their roles too. In most countries, someone who assists a criminal in performing criminal activities is also responsible and can be charged.

In the fight against drugs, law-enforcers chase the bigger fish, not the small ones trawling the streets. Maybe focusing on the big fish of cycling would have a clean-up effect too?

Erik Nordlie
Oslo, Norway
Thursday, October 23, 2008

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Doping #2

I just learned of the Italian professional federation's statement regarding life expulsions for riders found guilty of doping. I applaude this decision and look forward to hearing of its consideration by the various agencies involved with officiating the sport - I support full convictions for all/any others who are involved in doping (doctors, etc.). I also advocate for the development of a legitimate testing process that will only establish true guilt in terms of riders use of drugs.

I am a former racer and current fan of the sport, and agree that the crisis is at a threshold of no return. If such measures are not taken soon, we can kiss whatever respect there still is for the sport goodbye.

Patrick Pickens
Thursday, October 23, 2008

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McQuaid's approach

After the exposure of big name cheats in recent weeks, including Bernard Kohl, Stefan Schumacher and Ricardo Ricco, Pat McQuaid was quick to hail the drug testing system in place, and that the net was closing in cheats. He confidently asserted that they would be caught. In the midst of yet another drug scandal cycling could at least hold its head up high and say that it was trying to catch the cheats.

But alas this week Pat has had a change of heart. Mr McQuaid has realised that yet another positive from a big name rider would probably not be the best PR for cycling, the reasoning seemingly been 'We've shown we're serious but that's enough of that for this season.'

Now the UCI is against retrospective testing. Certain individuals in the peloton sigh in relief. Pat McQuaid believes retrospective testing of Giro and Vuelta samples could cause more problems than it solves. I believe testing the Giro samples for CERA is extremely important. This was the time period where this form of EPO was creeping into the doping practices of many riders.

Instead of rooting out some more cheats and sending a message, we are on the verge of letting them get away with it. I think the case of Stefan Schumacher shows that riders who get away with cheating once, or even twice will continue to dope until they are caught.

Niall Bleeks
Dungannon, Ireland
Wednesday, October 22, 2008

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Re-testing samples

The day Ricco was announced as positive, you had an interview with a professor who said that micera was definitely used at the Giro but they didn't have a test for it. Cycling is in trouble right now, and it's no time for politics in terms of doping and public perception.

How dare they claim they're trying to clear up the sport, and not retest those Giro samples. When the Italians announced there would be no retest, I wondered if they are trying to protect their own riders as well as the race. But the UCI is taking a lot of heat because the biological passport system isn't fully functional yet, and now I'm starting to believe that they'd rather have Giro cheaters in the system so they can catch them later with the biological passport - if they continue to cheat.

But people won't be using micera again - well, the stupid ones might try at smaller events. I watched all three Grand Tours online this year, plus the Olympics and some other events, and if it wasn't for Lance, I might have switched to another sport.

John Calliott
Tuesday, October 21, 2008

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Chris Horner

After watching Chris Horner at this year's Giro di Lombardia, can USA cycling please make a statement on why he was left off both the Olympic and WC road race teams (and don't say collarbone, that was after the fact)? All due respect to those that raced, but Horner is one of the best one-day racers we have, especially in hilly terrain. And since Levi evidently said from Day 1 he wasn't going to race the road, why did we leave that spot open. I guess my real question is: who did Horner piss off and can they please kiss and make up so we have the best the US has to offer racing in the world championchips?

Christopher Carey
Monday, October 20, 2008

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Germans pull the plug

We do not need the Germans and their negative attitude to cycling.

As big of a cancer the drug cheats are in cycling, people and fans with very negative attitudes like the Germans are not needed, either. If we will ever turn the corner and get a clean peloton, we need fans and sponsors that are hopeful and believe, instead of the constant gloom and doom like the German TV stations and their fans express.

Also, cancelling races is not going to solve anything either, so the Germans really need to realise they are just as big of a part of the cancer as those that dope are, with their kind of attitude. Other 'cycling mad' countries such as Italy, France, Spain and Belgium, I am sure are disappointed as well, but unlike the Germans, they at least have a positive attitude and are not ready to give up.

Last but not least, instead of constantly blaming the riders and their mentors and so on and trying to punish them, we need to look at, what is really causing various riders over the last 20 years to cheat and need performance enhancement drugs? I mean we can ban and punish them all we want, but until we find the cause of what the problem is, the war on doping in Cycling will continue and the bans and suspensions will solve nothing

Cycling's problem is more of a creditability issue, then it is a doping issue and once we address the cause of the problems and get to the bottom of them, then we will have a peleton that does not dope and then creditability in the sport will be restored, but until then we will get remain in a quagmire of doping and creditability problems that will just drag the sport down more and more

Mark Schmidt
Dayton, Ohio
Friday, October 17, 2008

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Germans pull the plug #2

So apparently the German media has had its bellyful of the doping scandals caused by riders from its country. Not soon after the Deutschland Rundfahrt, German crownjewel, calls it a day, after other one-day races did so before them.

It is absolutely regrettable that, despite the so called 'new wave' of a young anti-doping generation, precisely guys from that group were caught out cheating. It's bad news that this form of cheating is still going on, but at the same time the fact that the cheaters are not getting away with is should be encouraging, not the other way around.

That the Germans pull the plug also shows the lack of historical awareness this country has with cycling, and that apart from Rudi Altig and later Dietrich Thurau, that big country has no real cycling culture comparable with Belgium, France, Italy and Spain... to name a few. I believe they're making a big mistake by capitulating while they should have make a firm statement by continuing to support the majority of clean riders, rather than using a few cheaters as an excuse for pulling out of cycling.

Almo
Belgium
Friday, October 17, 2008

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Basso and Liquigas

On the day the Italian rider's association appealed to the UCI's Pat McQuaid to punish dopers with life bans, Cyclingnews reports on the return to the professional peloton of one Italy's, ummm, more tarnished professional riders, Ivan Basso, after serving a 16-month ban for his relations (nice way of putting it) with Operación Puerto's Eufemiano Fuentes.

And Team Liquigas is allowing Basso to race at the first moment possible following his suspension for doping - tomorrow, in the Japan Cup. Their Italian web-site even celebrates the fact (although, interestingly, the English language version of the site is silent on the topic). A quick look at my old Italian-English dictionary reminds me that basso means, in English, (variously) low, lower part, bottom and deep. Liquigas SPA is an Italian producer and distributor of liquefied gas with, it promises, un basso impact on the environment. Unfortunately it would appear this low impact does not extend to the environment of professional cycling.

So, just how basso will Team Liquigas go? I figure Ivan's entry in the 2009 Giro is a near certainty, but do they propose also entering him in le Tour next year (assuming Liquigas' entry is accepted)? And what does the UCI and ASO have to say about this state of affairs? Are they prepared to go as basso as Team Liquigas?

Rick O'Brien
Sydney Australia
Friday, October 24, 2008

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Does doping work?

Did you see the 2002 winter Olympics cross country skier Johann Muhlegg, the way he just bombed away from the other skiers? Barry Bonds just clobbering everything thrown at him? The problem with doping and sports is that it works. True, no amount of doping will ever make me a Tour winner, but for the top level, a 3-5% difference is huge. I think the best thing that has happened is keeping the samples for later testing, since the dopers are always a step ahead of the testers.

Tom Zander
Reno, NV, USA
Saturday, October 18, 2008

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Lifetime bans

Standard penalty: five years for the individual and the team stops riding for one month. Second doping offence: The whole team (incl. managers, soigneurs, mechanics etc) stop for one year. Confessions which result in the successful prosecution of significant aiders and abettors reduce the penalty to the current two years. Cycling will continue to have a doping problem while we punish mere individuals. Ride (incl. manage, direct etc.) as a team; take responsibility as a team. Then doping will be everybody's business; not just that of those who are caught.

Trevor Bond
Friday, October 17, 2008

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LeMond's power test

Several people have asked about LeMond's Proposed Power Test to stop doping in cycling.

According to LeMond: "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."

Where would Floyd Landis be today if we had been using LeMond's test? If we followed LeMond's test, Floyd would never have been accused of doping, since his VO2 Max, and his power output on Stage 17 in the 2006 TdF were perfectly within his capabilities. His power output for the entire 2006 TdF have been made available to any and all to study.

I know Greg is sure Floyd doped, but according to Greg's test, Floyd would have never been under suspicion - and he would still be acknowledged as the 2006 Winner, and probably would be a lot wealthier.

I think the LeMond test would be good for cycling - but Greg would have to realise that science would show that many of the people he's accused of doping are clean. Just a thought.

Charlie Mack
Friday, October 17, 2008

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LeMond's power test #2

As a sports physiologist and with plenty of experience in VO2max testing, one I do know is that an exceptionally high VO2max in a very well trained rider, even in the mid-80's (mg/kg/min), doesn't necessarily result in a matching high power output due to individual variations in metabolic and mechanical efficiency. But can a rider with a relatively VO2max generate exceptionally high power? I would think this is also likely for the same reasons, therefore how would this testing control for such inter-individual variablilty, not to mention the variablilty in athlete response to the training stimulus alone?

Frank Russo
Friday, October 17, 2008

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LeMond's power test #3

I think that testing the power output and VO2 max of athletes to catch out the cheats, as suggested by Greg LeMond, would be at best useless and at worst counterproductive.

It may well be impossible to put out 8 watts per kilo without doping, but if the UCI were to lay down a rule saying "If you ride at 8 watts per kilo you will be convicted of doping" then you can guarantee that there will be a whole bunch of riders climbing at 7.9 watts per kilo, and it will make for a very boring race. In fact, no matter where you draw the line (6, 7 watts per kilo), if everyone has a power meter on their bike and everyone knows the maximum power output they are 'allowed' to ride at, then they will all simply make sure they don't exceed that level.

It won't stop anyone from doping, because no matter where you set the level, there will always be riders who can't reach that level without doping. Furthermore, if you set the level low enough that some riders can reach that level without doping, then you will end up with false positives, destroying the careers of those riders who are the most talented and hardest working.

To me, the whole idea smacks of 'tall poppy syndrome' - the mentality of 'He's riding faster than me, therefore he must be cheating', and it provides little incentive for clean riders to train harder and smarter to achieve better results.

Tom Byrt
Melbourne, Australia
Monday, October 20, 2008

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Rashaan Bahati

Thanks for mentioning Nelson Vails. As a racer here in the New York circuit I was surprised he was not mentioned in the first article. Here in the tri-state area we have many minority cyclists capable of racing on the pro level. Let us not forget cycling legend Patrick Gellineau, who was just inducted into the New Jersey Cycling Hall of Fame.

Romel Campbell
Oakland, New Jersey, USA
Friday, October 17, 2008

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Recent letters pages

Letters 2008

• October 17: Attitude to cheats, Doping, Lifetime bans, Solutions to doping problems, LeMond's power test, Rahsaan Bahati
• 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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