Letters to Cyclingnews - December 5, 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.

Prevention better than cure
Is Kohl kidding?
Kayle Leogrande
Enforceable Biological Passport
Armstrong's team duties
The Cycling Path
Rock-n-Rudy Racing
Come on, Chris!
Viagra - a doping product?

Prevention better than cure

I do agree with Tim Ellis's sentiments and most people's belief that life bans are a good idea, but will go only part way to solving the problem.

My belief is, just like Ricco, Kohl and Piepoli this year, riders still think they are ahead of the game when new doping products like Micera hit the market. A life ban won't stop potential, and I assume current cheaters, from trying to beat the dope police if they think they will get away with it.

Look at this year's tour. A life ban was not official this year, but given the current climate in cycling doping is tantamount to professional suicide. Riders still took the risk. That's why I think life bans alone will not solve doping in sport. They will, however, permanently remove dopers from sport when they are caught.

Of course prevention (of access to these drugs in the first place) is better than cure (life ban after the fact). So should it not also be an equal or higher punishment for the doctors who administer or supply the dope? They're professionals too, right?

The absurdity of this issue for me is that riders get all the bans and mass public damnation, but they only put a sporting career at risk. They didn't kill anyone. Its not punishable by death! Its not acceptable either, but the way some people overreact... What about the doctors behind it all who have the ability to put a human life at risk? What does prescribing dope say about the moral and ethical stability of the doctor who administered it? These doctors are still allowed to practice. I wouldn't want someone so careless with their responsibility looking after my health.

Sport in general is being very naïve if it thinks it can reduce doping while this continues. To reverse a saying: where there's a way, there's a will. It's easy to point the finger and boast a tough stance on drugs after an athlete's "Birillo" is found, but that's missing the point, in my opinion.

The drugs shouldn't have the opportunity to make their way into sport in the first place.

Ryan Sorensen
Sydney, Australia
Tuesday, December 2, 2008

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Is Kohl kidding?

Maybe the one kidding is Tim Ellis - from his list of "confirmed dopers" (Basso, Ullrich, Sinkewitz, Landis, Boonen) only one - Sinkewitz - was really a confirmed doper.

Basso was (impartially) banned for 'involvement' without real proof of accomplished doping, Ullrich was not banned at all (if we don't take into account his brush with ecstasy out-of-competition).

Boonen has taken cocaine out-of-competition; which while it may be a criminal offence it's not a doping offence under the WADA code. Landis was convicted but his offence was not soundly proved - documents published by his defence team show that his case could have been thrown out from the very beginning. And the Hamilton case was not proven sufficiently.

At that moment in time the testing method used didn't have enough scientific merit, especially regarding false positives as well as independent confirmation of method validity (now some proof is present, but it relates to a refined version of the method).

Oleksandr Alesinskyy
Hofheim Germany
Monday, December 1, 2008

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Is Kohl kidding? #2

After complaining about his suspension and telling us he 'named names' at his disciplinary hearing Kohl now admits that he didn't name the doctor who supplied him the CERA because he [Kohl] insisted that the doctor supplied it and he doesn't want to harm the doctor.

Excuse me? The doctor supplied a drug not for a valid medical reason but clearly for the purpose of cheating. Not only that, but in doing so potentially put Kohl's health at risk. This is not a doctor who deserves to remain anonymous.

Stephen Szalla
Sunday, November 30, 2008

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Kayle Leogrande

Let me get this straight - Kayle Leogrande gets a two year suspension. Last I heard he didn't admit to anything. It was simply his word against someone else's... when does this constitute proven guilt?

Additionally, he had a borderline A positive. I assume borderline means neither positive nor negative? Is this why a B test was not conducted? To my knowledge, if an A sample was conclusive then a B sample had to back it up by being positive as well. I assume a B sample wasn't conducted because the A sample didn't warrant a test.

Something doesn't smell right; the federations need to start playing by their own rules, rather than making them up as they see fit. Someone correct me if my reasoning doesn't sound fit.

Tom Ahlrichs
Boise, ID, USA
Sunday, November 30, 2008

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Enforceable Biological Passport

I, like many others, have been waiting patiently for many months to see the cheats finally get their just desserts and be caught out by the UCI's ground breaking Biological Passport. I can think of nothing more satisfying in the current climate of uncertainty in cycling - who's clean and who's a cheat - than being able to identify the fraudsters year-round.

I need someone to explain to me how this system can be enforced, however. If we are monitoring the values of 'key blood indicators' and they change in an unnatural way, therefore looking suspect, BINGO... we have a cheat. But how do you enforce this system when perhaps technically the 'athlete' has not actually failed a control?

Mathew Ashton
Sydney, Australia
Sunday, November 30, 2008

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Armstrong's team duties

Armstrong as domestique superior - here, here!

To see Lance riding for his teammates... that would guarantee exciting racing. It would show Armstrong as a complete competitor and that even domestiques are champions!

Mark Thomas
Cleveland, OH, USA
Friday, November 28, 2008

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The Cycling Path

I am new to cycling; however, the bizarre handling of the doping issues seems very strange. Bernard Kohl mentioned he figured at least half the peloton is doping; I believe that most of the evidence points out that all the top riders have been doping, and if not they have been caught up by circumstantial evidence. They must have doped to in order to ride at the same speed or faster than the dopers.

So what happens when we state the obvious, saying that so and so must have doped and our current riders are doping? The sponsors examine the value of spending 15 to 20 million a year on financing a cycling team, and determine the value is negative and pull their support for the cycling team.

How do we proceed from here?

-Focus on controls so the riders do not feel half the peloton is taking some doping products so they must too in order to compete.
-Do not keep looking in the past, it just destroys the sport.
-Look at teams that have success with clean riders and come up with best practices for all teams to follow.

I do not have all the answers but clearly we need to follow a different path.

John K. Miller
Thursday, November 27, 2008

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Rock-n-Rudy Racing

In response to David Randelman's letter. "I feel sorry for anyone wearing that kit". What kind of a statement is that?

Statements like this don't do anyone any good. And why do you feel sorry for them? What team do you support? Better yet, find a team in the professional ranks that doesn't have a rider, assistant, coach, mechanic, doctor, etc, that hasn't worked for a team with a sordid past or been implicated in some form of doping scandal. You will be hard pressed to do so.

I can agree with you that Mr. Ball's decisions are sometimes rash and arbitrary, and he may not be the nicest person etc. But, he has gotten people talking about cycling in this country where it remains a fringe activity even though most people know how to ride a bike. He is supporting a sport that has sponsors running for the hills, and all the while you ridicule and express your disgust.

Don't support the team if you don't want to, but please don't insult people who do.

Travis Sevilla
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Wednesday, November 26, 2008

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Come on, Chris!

Chris Horner has long been a favorite pro of mine, since his days with Mercury, in fact! I have said a hundred times he does not get enought kudos in the press for his talents as a race winner and 'uber team rider'.

But now he's getting some press he does deserve for his helmetless riding. For all of us out there who work hard to promote cycling to kids and the safe and proper use of helmets, please don the lid, Chris! You are a role model, like it or not.

We all see too many pro athletes these days who set such a poor example, but cycling needs to continue to work hard to be a haven from the drivel airing almost daily on SportsCenter about sports like football, basketball and hockey. Unless this was some kind of dig against his sponsor Giro I just don't get it, not from a class act like Horner.

If by any chance Chris is looking for a place to serve his penance for this misdeed I will happy to forward him the time and date of a youth bike rodeo to attend somewhere near beautiful Erie, PA, next spring!

Greg Troyer
Waterford, PA
Wednesday, December 3, 2008

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Viagra - a doping product?

In reference to the UCI's recent announcement that Viagra is to be investigated as a possible performance-enhancing drug, can we presume it is being investigated as an aerodynamic aid, rather than as a biological enhancement?

Chris Ratcliffe
Napier, New Zealand
Monday, December 1, 2008

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Recent letters pages

Letters 2008

• November 27: Is Kohl kidding?, Lessons from cycling, Why is Basso back?, Frank Vandenbroucke, Vino returns to Astana, Pevenage to Rock Racing, Rock-n-Rudy Racing, Pricey bike reviews, David Walsh article, Lance Armstrong, Cyclocross at the Olympics
• November 21: Pevenage to Rock Racing, Pricey Bike Reviews, Bobby Julich column, David Walsh article, Merida release, Chasing Fabian, Gilmore in Colombia, Frank Vandenbroucke, Albert's Tour remarks, Stylin' calendar dudes, Vino returns to Astana, Keep up the good work..., THC suspension, The Museeuw MF-1, Why is Basso back?, Basso diary, Taking it seriously, Moral high-horse, Gerdemann vs Armstrong, Don't do it Lance
• November 13: Taking it seriously, Basso's diary, David Walsh article, Gerdemann vs Armstrong, Boonen, Armstrong and Gerdemann, Germans pull the plug, Lifetime bans, Chasing Fabian
• November 13: Taking it seriously, Basso's diary, David Walsh article, Gerdemann vs Armstrong, Boonen, Armstrong and Gerdemann, Germans pull the plug, Lifetime bans, Chasing Fabian
• November 6: Boonen, Armstrong and Gerdemann, Doping, Germans pull the plug, Lifetime bans, UCI bans skinsuits
• October 30: Germans pull the plug, Doping, Kohl, Lifetime bans, UCI bans skinsuits, 2009 TdF parcours, LeMond's power test
• October 24: Doping, McQuaid's approach, Re-testing samples, Chris Horner, Germans pull the plug, Basso and Liquigas, Does doping work?, Lifetime bans, LeMond's power test, Rashaan Bahati
• 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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