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Letters to Cyclingnews - June 10, 2005
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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. Each week's best letter gets our 'letter of the week'. We look for for letters that contain strong, well-presented opinions; humour; useful information or unusual levels of sheer helpfulness. Please email your correspondence to letters@cyclingnews.com. Recent letters The year of the comeback |
An open letter to Cadel Evans
Dear Cadel,
Good luck in the Tour de Suisse. Don't fall off your bike, and if you do fall then roll. Don't break your collar bone…again!
I (and many others) have been waiting what seems like many years to see you ride your first tour - I can't wait to see you in the Alps with Dodger and McGee.
Good luck Cadel, and stay on your bike!!!!!
Ben Knapp
Adelaide, Australia
Tuesday, June 7, 2005
How Ullrich can win the Tour
After six years, they still don't get it, none of them. Vinokourov is out there hinting he wants to win the tour, Kloden deep inside wants a victory after last year. They still don't get it.
If Ullrich or anyone else for that matter wants to beat Armstrong, the formula is almost too simple! One leader and eight helpers, no questions asked!
If Ullrich is the team leader, Vino and Klöden have to turn themselves inside out like Eki, Hincapie, Azevedo and Beltran.
Even with guns like Popovych and Il Falco riding along side Lance in the tour, you don't hear peep one about them winning the bike race. They have one job and one job only, make sure Armstrong wins. And from what it looks like, all these teams are going to make the same mistakes again this year.
John Olsa
Grand Rapids, MI
Wednesday, June 8, 2005
USPRO/Liberty
Nice ride by Wherry. I thought Horner was going to ride away from them. It was also good to see three US riders duke it out for the national jersey and the win at the same time, instead of fighting for fifth or fourth place and "winning" the jersey. The European teams seemed a bit flat-is this because of the increased demands on teams because of the ProTour?
Regarding the women's race-why is this event only 92km? For arguably the biggest one day race in North America, shouldn't the distance be more like 110-140km? When sprinters like Rossner win seven times on a course this difficult, the short distance must be a factor. Several of the West Coast stage races have women's stages over 60 miles (~100km) so why does this huge race run a distance similar to that seen by a Cat 4 men's field? A longer distance would make for a tougher and better race, and give someone other than the sprinters on the powerhouse teams a chance. I know the men's race has come down to a large group sprint a few times, but that is the exception.
Steve F
Pasadena CA
Monday, June 6, 2005
Lance, the Tour and the Giro
I loved the Giro this year as much as everyone else who has written recently. However, it was clear that no team or rider was capable of dominating, which brings me to Lance. It is not his fault if the Tour is "blah". He prepares himself and his team to perform at their top level. If that means he dominates, then so be it. It's not like other teams don't have the option to do the same and presumably try to do the same. If USPS/Discovery and Lance dominate the Tour that doesn't make it boring - instead, I would argue it makes it all the more amazing because there are no secrets going into the race. Everyone else knows their goal, their training methods, their tactics, and yet, they still can't stop Lance from winning. Incredible!
Mary Wilson
Saturday, June 4, 2005
Lance and the Tour
"A lot of people are too stubborn to warm to Armstrong's abilities, and despise the fact the he has dominated the Tour de France for the last six years."
If I'm like "a lot of people," then you have it completely wrong. I thought the Lance story was great - the kid who laboured hard to overcome the chip on his shoulder, the cancer survivor winning the Tour in a real-life fairy tale, his class courtesy of waiting for Ullrich after Ullrich's big crash. Believe me, I was "warm" for Armstrong and his abilities., but when Armstrong crashed on Luz Ardiden and Ullrich waited for him, Armstrong went out of his way to suggest that Ullrich didn't really wait at all. Am I supposed to warm up to that? When Simeoni testified against Ferrari, Armstrong did everything he could to run Simeoni out of the peloton. Is this supposed to make me feel warm and fuzzy?
Joe Clapp
Friday, June 3, 2005
Show us your discards Godefroot!
Don't forget Bobby J! You could also argue that Ulrich had a better season with Coast/Bianchi and then sank when he re-signed after the 2003 Tour.
As soon as Oscar Sevilla signed with them, I couldn't help but wonder if he spoke to his old Kelme teammate Botero or paid attention to the others cast aside by the T crew. Hopefully Oscar fares better in the Land of Misfit Toys (or better still Unfit).
Ted
Jersey City, NJ
Friday, June 3, 2005
Show us your discards Godefroot! #2
I agree 100% on Godefroot's failings.
He has a massive budget and Deutshe Telekom's return on it's large investment
is poor. The careers of many have benefited from leaving this structure which
appears outdated and oppressive. Look at the years that Savoldelli and Julich
have had already. They were in the wilderness at DT, as was Evans who I am sure
will show his real worth at the Tour that was so evident when he was at Mapei
(that is, before he joined DT).
Godefroot has one of the most talented riders of his generation in Ullrich
and he mumbles about Ullrich's failings as if it is someone else's problem.
Sorry Walter, the buck stops with you. You are the team manager and he is on
your team. I would love to see Ullrich under Riis at CSC - or anyone else for
that matter. At the 2003 Tour Ullrich was in the best form we have seen him
in years and, surprise, it was the year he was not with T-Mobile.
Why T-Mobile continue to put up with this underachieving structure is a mystery.
Forget total UCI points; with the budget and roster of riders T Mobile should
be winning the top classics and grand tours much more frequently. Deutsche Telekom
may be satisfied with the profile just sponsoring a team of stars gives their
T Mobile business, but on the basis of results alone it does not seem to be
money very well spent.
Simon Quirk
London
Friday, June 3, 2005
Armstrong and Class
Not to be terribly rude, but I am fairly certain that Armstrong did in fact
ride in support of George at Flanders, and pulled for George very strongly...it
was George who did not get himself into the final move.
In fact, if I am remembering correctly, Lance was the last teammate with George,
trying to pull him back to the breakaway. So the argument that he doesn't ever
ride for anyone else is not entirely valid.
Secondly, whether you would like to admit it or not, no matter how good your team is, you don't win the Tour de France without being a great cyclist. End of story. To argue otherwise is simply insane. Also, the point about not making any definitive moves...are you serious? He won six stages, and overall by one of the largest margins of his career. It's argued it was for the sake of his team that he wins. That is valid. But please find me a cyclist who wins a Grand Tour without relying heavily on his team. There is a reason for teams in cycling.
The fact that Lance is able to utilise his to perfection does not denigrate his ability. Postal/Discovery is a great team, but there are many great teams and yet none have yet to unseat Lance. Perhaps one of the reasons is all the internal bickering about who is the true team leader. Is it Simoni or Cunego? Is it Ulrich or Klöden? What you view as selfish, creating a team that is dedicated to one rider, is actually just a very good race strategy. It establishes exactly who you are riding for, and sets an ultimate goal. They don't just employ this with Lance; look at this year's Giro. Danielson prior to the Giro was in excellent form and had just won the Tour of Georgia. Both he and Savoldelli (who broke a collarbone and had yet to produce any significant results in the last two years) could be considered team leaders. Instead, the team declared Savoldelli as the leader, and Danielson (even though he had to drop out due to his knee injury) was prepared to ride in full support. Again, that is what an efficient team should do.
It is fine if you don't like Armstrong and prefer other cyclists, but to say he is not a great cyclist, to say that he does less work than other tour hopefuls (Ulrich, Mayo, Landis, Heras, etc.) is silly. They all race the same amount. The ones who do well in the tours have a defined leader...ie; Armstrong, Basso, etc. Hopefully this has helped to clarify some of the misconceptions. Or at least shed light from a different point of view. Thank you for your time.
Elyse Cooper-Smith
Friday, June 3, 2005
Armstrong and class #2
Consistency and excellence can be considered to be mutually exclusive in the case of Lance Armstrong. He is excellent in the Tour, but inconsistent over the course of the season. To say he isn't a great racer because he isn't consistent over the course of a season is a true point, but I think it misses the distinction between these two things.
Certainly he is consistent within the context of the tour - on GC, so this distinction shouldn't be too hard for cycling fans to grasp. When you rank great cyclists, you have to make a decision about what is better. To win the best race at the highest level it has ever been; or to consistently ride well in races over the course of a season and a career. To the majority of the sporting public, excellence is the more interesting trait.
Mark Kerlin
Oakton, Virginia
Friday, June 3, 2005
Ivan's training ride
I agree with some of Mr. Heffner's comments. While there isn't any reason to
debate Lance's feats on or off the bike, I also find some of his antics "below"
how a champion should present himself. I find myself cheering Jan on. I would
love to see him win the Tour going up against the man who undoubtedly is the
best Tour de France rider in the long
history of the tour.
Linda Whittaker
Warwick, RI
Friday, June 3, 2005
Giro comments
Was last Saturday's stage to Sestriere the best stage in a cycling race for years or what? Gibo's attack on the Colle delle Finestre was superb and what a superb climber in Rujano. Johan Bruyneel has found another big tour genius; Il Falco was phenomenal during the last week and Di Luca - where did that ride come from?
I hope the Tour has some of that excitement this year otherwise the rest of the season may be a bit of an anti-climax
Donald Young
Stonehaven, Scotland
Friday, June 3, 2005
Recent letters pages
Letters 2005
- June 3: Giro comments, Giro excitement vs Tour blah, Ivan Basso, Ivan's training ride, Discovering the future, Jose Rujano, Savoldelli vs Simoni, How Ullrich can win the Tour, Eddy Merckx Interview, Johan Bruyneel, Show us your discards Godefroot!, Improving Pro Tour Team Rankings, Lance and the Tour, Armstrong and class
- May 27: Giro excitement vs Tour blah, Great Giro!, Double or nothing..., Colle delle Finestre and a Cipo farewell, Joseba Beloki, Ivan's training ride, Hell on Wheels, Matt Wittig, How Ullrich can win the Tour, UCI fines, Armstrong and class, Eddy Merckx Interview, The disappointment of Viatcheslav Ekimov, You have let us down Paolo
- May 20: Colle delle Finestre tactics, Rogues, It just keeps happening, Davis Phinney, Joseba Beloki, Australia - number one, You have let us down Paolo, Bettini/Cooke, What's up with pro cyclists these days?, Cipo, Cipo, Cipo, A question about team names, The disappointment of Viatcheslav Ekimov, Go Eki!
- May 13: Hit and run, Bettini vs Cooke, Bettini's Illegal sprint, You have let us down Paolo, Giro, Bettini/Cooke, Cookie's crumble, Bjarne's right: There's only one Jens Voigt!, Jens Voigt and the blind, South Australians protest against hit-and-run death, It just keeps happening, Liberty Seguros, The disappointment of Viatcheslav Ekimov, Go Eki!, Australia - number one, Irresistible in July, UCI weight rule
- May 6: South Australians protest against hit-and-run death, Tyler Hamilton's case, Hamilton and the facts The USADA decision on Tyler Hamilton, Tyler Hamilton, Tyler, Testing and the Virenque Comparison, How do dopers live with themselves?, General view on doping, Hamilton guilty regardless of the facts, Hamilton verdict, Tyler is good going uphill, Hamilton interview, Klöden comments, Tyler H, Simoni, Grazie Mario, Sheryl Crow, or should we say...Yoko Ono
- April 29: South Australians protest against hit-and-run death, Tyler Hamilton's case, Hamilton and the facts The USADA decision on Tyler Hamilton, Tyler Hamilton, Tyler, Testing and the Virenque Comparison, How do dopers live with themselves?, General view on doping, Hamilton guilty regardless of the facts, Hamilton verdict, Tyler is good going uphill, Hamilton interview, Klöden comments, Tyler H, Simoni, Grazie Mario, Sheryl Crow, or should we say...Yoko Ono
- April 22: Lance Armstrong's retirement, W is for Witchhunt, Tyler's mishandling defense, Not for real, is it?, Bad Science, Blood testing issues, Hamilton - finally a decision, Regarding the Tyler Hamilton decision, Tyler Hamilton, Satisfying Verdict for Hamilton Case, How do dopers live with themselves?, Hamilton's case, Tyler Hamilton's case, Hamilton, Hamilton verdict and a call for outside expertise, Tyler Hamilton saga..., Tour de France preview...2006!, Klöden comments, Tour de France Training, The New Dynamic Duo, Sheryl Crow, or should we say...Yoko Ono, Random Musings
- April 15: Glenn Wilkinson, USADA and Hamilton, Bergman; so sad, ProTour leader's jersey, That's a Jersey?, Too many chiefs?, Track World Championships, What do you think?
- April 8: The New Dynamic Duo, Boonen's Hairdo, Viral infections and antibiotics, George Hincapie, What do you think?, Track World Championships, VDB?, A little bit more about blood doping, Blood testing issues
- April 1: Well done Ale-jet, Eyes of tigers..., Viral infections and antibiotics, Let's talk about cycling…, What's worth talking about in cycling?, First Ride of the season, The New Dynamic Duo, Blood testing issues, Sydney Thousand, UCI Pro Tour Grand Theft, not Grand Tour
- March 18: The Forgotten Hero!, Way to go Bobby, Bobby J, Lance has lost the ‘Eye of the tiger’, Blood testing issues and Hamilton, With all Due Respect, All this Lance Talk..., Is Lance getting soft?
- March 11: Blood testing issues and Hamilton, Cycling on TV, In Defence of UCI president Hein Verbruggen, Defending the Pro Tour?, Is Lance getting soft?, Lance has lost the "eye of the tiger"
- March 4: In Defence of the Pro-Tour, Grand Tours back down...for now, Armstrong and Simeoni,Help - what’s on the TV?, Cycling on TV, Lance Defends His Title!, Hamilton movie role downplayed, Blood testing issues and Hamilton, I really don't know when it happened
- February 25: Lance Defends His Title!, Build it and tear it down?, Build, dismantle and donate!, Lance's Hour Record attempt, I really don't know when it happened, Can't get enough!, Dream on
- February 18: Build it and tear it down?, Remember Marco, One Reason I Love Cycling, The ongoing Hour Record Saga, Lance’s Hour Record attempt, Can't get enough!
- February 11: One Reason I Love Cycling, Francisco Cuevas, F-One - Come down to earth Lance!, Armstrong and the Hour, Can't get enough!, Greatest of all time
- February 4: F-One - Come down to earth Lance!, Armstrong and the Hour, Armstrong and Simeoni, Can't get enough!, Help, Greatest of all time Eddy is King, but who is second best?
- January 28: "I am the greatest of all time", Armstrong and the Hour Record, F-One - Come down to earth Lance!, Lance Drug Probe, Armstrong and Simeoni, Can’t get enough!, Help, NBC's 2004 RAAM Coverage, Doping, Crash distance from 1km to 3km, Eddy is King, but who is second best?
- January 21: Professional Cyclists, Der Kaiser's Goals, Jan Ullrich's problem = Lance, Rider of the Year, Crash distance from 1km to 3km, Help, Lance vs. Eddy
- January 14: Der Kaiser's goals, Help, Foreign stage races, Lance vs. Eddy, Tour '05, Rider of the Year, Best bikes for heavy riders, Quick Step helmets
- January 7: Death of Dmitri Neliubin, Der Kaiser’s goals, Rider of the Year, Best bikes for heavy riders, Who's Greater? Come on now!, Virenque "most charismatic"?, Downhilling, Downhill time trial, Trendy cyclists, No flat tyres, Spring classics trip advice, Bettini's trainer
- January 3: Spring classics trip advice, Big Bear ends downhilling, Armstrong and Simeoni, Holding teams accountable, Downhill time trial, Trendy cyclists, Bettini's trainer, No flat tyres
Letters 2004
- December 24 letters - Why are cyclists so trendy?, Business and cycling, Big Bear ends downhilling, Off-bike weight gain, No flat tires, Armstrong and Simeoni
- December 17 letters - Business and cycling, Tom versus Axel , Big Bear ends downhilling, Shane Perkins, Spring classics trip advice, Tyler Hamilton, Phonak and the UCI, Why are cyclists so trendy?, Mark Webber interview, Armstrong and Simeoni, Injured and missing it: an update, Clyde Sefton
- December 10 letters - Why are cyclists so trendy?, Big Bear ends downhilling, Floyd's choices?, Merckx, fit and trim, Pound must go, Spring classics trip advice, Tyler Hamilton, Phonak and the UCI, Punishment: Vandenbroucke vs Hamilton, Prosthetic hip, Armstrong and Simeoni, Dave Fuentes, Homeopathy, Jeremy Yates, TDF coverage for Australia, Weight limits and maintenance, Mark Webber interview
- December 3 letters - Domestiques vs Lieutenants, Tyler Hamilton, Phonak and the UCI, Dave Fuentes, Santa vs Hairy Guy, Why are cyclists so trendy?, Mark French and homeopathy, Shane Perkins, Jeremy Yates, Weight limits and maintenance, UCI regulations, Armstrong and Simeoni, Prosthetic hip
- November 26 letters - Mark French and homeopathy, Two big guns in one team, Tyler Hamilton case, Bartoli's retirement, Dave Fuentes, Shane Perkins, Merckx and Armstrong, Training like Lance, Lance Armstrong, Why are cyclists so trendy?, Phonak gets what it deserves, Armstrong and Simeoni, Bike weight, Spouseless riders, Mary McConneloug, Adam Craig, Mark Webber interview, Santa vs Hairy Guy
- November 19 letters - Tyler Hamilton case, Phonak gets what it deserves, Are you there Mr Coates?, Bike Weight, Merckx and Maertens make up, Heart troubles, Where to find cycling spouses, Mark Webber interview, Lance Armstrong, Where's Greg?, What ever happened to..., Why are cyclists so trendy?, Armstrong and Simeoni, l'Etape du Tour registration, Still Laughing
- November 12 letters - Why Armstrong will ride the 2005 Tour, Scott Sunderland, Why are cyclists so trendy?, Armstrong and Simeoni, Where to find cycling spouses, Lance on Italian selection, Heart troubles, l'Etape du Tour registration, Tour 2005 team time trial, What ever happened to..., Love and a yellow bike
- November 5 letters - Love and a yellow bike, Tour 2005, Where to find cycling spouses, Why are cyclists so trendy?, Lance on Italian selection, Armstrong and Simeoni, Tour of Southland, Construction technique for veloway, Heart troubles, l'Etape du Tour registration, Rahsaan Bahati
- Letters Index – The complete index to every letters page on cyclingnews.com
