Letters to Cyclingnews - January 3, 2006

That damn Lance #2

Nobody says you have to be a Lance fan, but isn't this writer going overboard a little with the personal attacks? After all Lance Armstrong is just a guy trying to live his life like the rest of us.

Frankly I think most Cycling News readers, myself included, would probably do a lot worse if put in similar circumstances of life crisis, fame, money, and temptation.

Zachary Kelly
Friday, December 23, 2005

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Bart Wellens

I wholly agree…would we see that sort of behaviour at the Australian Open or Test cricket? I don't think so. So then why should those trying to pursue their profession be penalised by cycling authorities? If the drunken "arse" wants to take it further maybe he should take civil action against Bart Wellens and see how far he gets in a court of law; he'll be laughed out, or more rightly thrown out of court for being an "arse" in a public place. The governing body should protect those that they profess to care for.

Graham Johnston

Australia
Tuesday, January 2 2006

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Cyclists in South Australia

While this is not so bad in the UK - we need to be aggressive and not be reactive – maybe even proactive. We need to assert ourselves on the road. Avoid the gutter and appear right in the road. Do milk floats get the same hassle? Nope! So assert your right. We pay taxes - through cars and income tax. We pay for the roads to be repaired and built - so we can use it.

If this means we complain to the police or take matters on, then so be it. Oh, and smile at the loser behind the steering wheel - it'll get him more annoyed!

Michael Underwood

London, UK
Wednesday, December 28, 2005

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EGO Mania

For the last ten years I have followed cycling with a passion. The three Grand Tours are the most pure form of sports competition in the world. It saddens me to see the administrative egos of cycling management and world anti-doping agencies tear apart such great spectacles. I sometimes wonder if these administrators make their public statements in order to enhance their self importance at the expense of the true sportsman the riders. Without the riders there would be no tours. I personally have more faith in the integrity of the riders than I do with the integrity of the administrators. There is a great clamour by the administrators to "clean up cycling" and I say it is time to "clean up administration.

Mike O'Toole

Chicago USA
Sunday, December 25, 2005

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King Pound

Once again Dick Pond has appointed himself judge, jury and executioner. When is someone in the cycling industry going to have the guts to stand up and take Dick Pound on? Mr Pound clearly has an agenda that does not include due process or fair play. The manner in which he has pursued alleged doping violators with flagrant disregard for their personal rights and due process seems to be lost to the press.

Along with most cyclists, I am adamantly opposed to the use of performance-enhancing drugs in our sport as well as all sports, but as history has proved, the checks and balances put into place by the responsible governing agencies were put there because history has taught us that true change and reform can not happen without due process and a commitment to the accused’s personal rights.

Unfortunately Mr Pound's belief that any means justifies the end and his personal agenda against cycling is more important then due process and fair play. I for one believe Mr. Pound and his constant negative comments about pro cycling and alleged drug offenders before the facts are substantiated or the athlete has been convicted, are inappropriate and unwarranted. It’s time Mr Pound is replaced by someone that believes in a system committed to reform, not just blind persecution.

Paul Daniels

Cypress, CA
Saturday, December 24, 2005

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Urine testing for rEPO

Dear Cyclingnews,

I have been following the news reports about Lance Armstrong and Roberto Heras, among others, and their alleged blood doping with recombinant erythropoietin (rEPO). I have been struck by the disconnect between the vehement denial of blood doping on the part of the athletes and the test results. Like many, I want to know where the truth lies, for the sake of the athletes and the sport of cycling.

The articles about the urinary rEPO test focus on important technical details about the testing procedure itself (effect of urinary proteins on test results, specificity of monoclonal antibodies used, scientific steps to validate the test) but do not discuss the performance of the test in a population - in this case, a population of athletes (as opposed to patients with cancer or kidney disease). I would like to review some basic principles of diagnostic testing that apply to all tests and have direct bearing on how to interpret the tests results from these elite athletes.

No laboratory test is perfect. No matter how refined the test is, it will still misclassify samples, whether from patients or elite athletes. Good tests rarely misclassify samples and are used frequently in medicine. Poor tests, even if well conceived, misclassify too often to be useful and are typically abandoned. So, testing is used as a way to classify samples (from patients or athletes). It turns out that a test can be imperfect in only two ways. First, the test may indicate a substance is in a sample (e.g., urine or blood) when, in truth, it is absent. This type of error would misclassify a sample as 'positive' when it should be classified as 'negative'. This is called a 'false positive' test result. Second, the test may fail to identify a substance in a sample when, in truth, it is present. This type of error would misclassify a sample as 'negative' when it should have been found 'positive'. This is called a 'false negative' result.

In the field of medical science, the ability of a test to classify a sample is characterized by determining the sensitivity and specificity of the test. I will give a brief primer on these terms and then discuss how they are used to interpret diagnostic tests - in particular the urinary rEPO test.

Read the rest of Christopher Whalen's letter here

The Tour hypocrisy

Riding my trainer in late December, I popped in "Overcoming" and I see "Festina" plastered all over the start ramp area for the Time Trial stages.

I find it absolutely amazing that the TDF organization continues to enlist Festina as a sponsor considering they were part and parcel involved in the biggest drug-scandal in TDF history. Even more amazingly, the CEO of Festina blithely announces after the TDF of 1998 that they sold more watches than ever before, effectively thumbing their nose at the TDF organization. I don't buy any sponsor washing their hands of the conduct of a management team or group of riders; especially in the case of the Festina affair.

It just seems to me that if the TDF organization was truly serious about combatting drugs in cycling, they would start with their own image and who they do business with. Essentially the message they are sending is "We hate drugs, we want to combat drugs, we won't tolerate drugs, unless you're willing to pay us a boatload of money." Is it any wonder the athletes take the same stance?

The example should start from the top.

Todd Olson
Friday, December 23, 2005

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Dope so you can

In reference to Mr Donaghue's letter from December 17,

Who said anything about the "communist/socialist evil empire crowd?" Perhaps your tag should be "Running Pavlov's Dog," who starts foaming at the mouth at the sound of the word "culture", anticipating a tasty commie biscuit. I have no interest in injecting cold war politics into the doping debate. As you may recall, the big communist empire that didn't use capitalism to compete economically fell apart; and the big one that did is now out-capitalising the capitalists, even in the area of polluting the waterways toxically. My statement about "capitalist-consumer culture" was merely descriptive; it's a general category in which to put the US, Europe, now China, and most of the highly industrialized nations, as opposed to an "agrarian-conservationist/feudal" culture or something - that's not where pro cyclists race.

We - you and I, and most likely Mr Running Dog, live in a certain type of world; and I was just observing how societal priorities influence the behaviour of high profile athletes. Simply put: in the industrialised world, more and more of our social infrastructure is organised around the theory that the profit-motive drives innovation and organisational performance better than anything else. Is it the best way to run our hospitals? For some of us yes, for others, no. There is a movement to privatise public schools which may or may not turn out to be successful. The privatisation of some prisons is happening too, which may turn out to be a humanitarian disaster.

There is no doubt about the fact, however, that pro bike racing is a profit-oriented endeavour at the top level. Sponsors pay fees in the hope of getting a positive return for their money. Teams must win to survive - and there is no home stadium to generate a nice alternative source of revenue. It's a harsh reality. Is it good, bad, or ugly? You decide. Just don't call me Comrade, Dog.

Oh, and can I have my soapbox back now?

Jeremy Earl McHugh
Friday, December 23, 2005

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Dope so you can #2

Whether it's a 200km stage of a three-week race or a 50km local road race, everyone will always be looking for that edge over the competition. I hope you are not suggesting shortening the Tour, or making less difficult stages as a solution to doping because no matter how difficult or "easy" a race is, riders who are competing at a top level will alway be looking for a way to go faster...legally or illegally.

I for one believe that doping has more to do with mental weakness than physical shortcomings. It's the riders who can't take the pressure of constantly battling with the best riders in the world while trying to live up to their expectation who ultimately have a mental breakdown and dope to go faster. Those who channel the stress into performance should have no need to dope as they will be performing at their best without the assistance of drugs. Even an accomplished, veteran racer could be susceptible to overwhelming pressure that would drive them to find another "solution". I think the extent of doping in the sport just goes to show how competitive and passionate we are about the sport, and any clean champions should feel extremely proud to have handled the immense pressure and to rise above where so many others had to resort to substance abuse just to keep up.

It's a shame that it is so hard to detect performance-enhancing drugs in cycling but to make the sport "easier" or more "humane" is no solution. I for one get a tingling sensation up my spine at the thought of a 200km stage. If you don't feel the excitement of a challenge like that, then that's fine. But don't suggest that such challenges of human strength and will are the causes of doping in our sport.

Chris Brunet
Friday, December 23, 2005

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Give McQuaid a chance

Pat McQuaid has been appointed as President at a defining moment in the development of the UCI. Let's give the man a chance. Let's give the Pro Tour a chance. I don't believe the organisers of the 'Big Tours' should be allowed to dictate to the world governing body. The UCI is highly respected as the world governing body for cycling and must remain so. Other sports respect their governing bodies, so why should cycling be any different?

Tommy Lamb

Belfast, Ireland
Saturday, December 31, 2005

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Elimination Tour de France

This is a longish letter but hopefully you'll bear with me. Earlier in the year my son posed the question, "what would happen if the Tour were an elimination race?" Trackies out there will be familiar with the concept of a race where trailing riders are progressively eliminated leaving those remaining to contest a final sprint. Would Armstrong still win? Would he even make the final selection? Who would be left and who would win?

Of course the Tour isn't raced this way but what if the 2005 Tour were - 21 stages, 189 riders, with 9 riders eliminated per racing day . . . leaving a select group of nine to contest the final stage. The emphasis would be on finishing high up each day and saving energy for the final winner-takes-all effort on the last day. Having time on my hands over the Christmas break provided the perfect opportunity to waste some time unearthing the answer.

In this format there are dire consequences for finishing low down in any stage. Stage winner Weening is gone after stage 1, as is Axel Merckx, and on stage 3 Robbie McEwen bows out, courtesy of his contretemps with Stuart O'Grady and the commissaires. On stage 7, Michael Rasmussen's gamble to lose time to allow freedom for a subsequent stage win costs him his place in the elimination format.

At this point in the race, retirements and time limits are also taking a toll as Voigt, Boonen, Valverde, Backstedt and Kloden all leave on stages 11 - 17. On these stages, McGee, Karpets, Beloki, Horner, Flecha, Cancellara, Menchov, O'Grady, Garzelli, Botero, Guerini and Rogers also join the names succumbing to the elimination vacuum cleaner.

Down to the final four stages and most of the big GC names remain. Sastre, Hincapie, Landis and Heras depart in stage 18 and 19, and on stage 19, Armstrong narrowly misses elimination, his tail protected by lieutenant Hincapie. On stage 20 the final nine eliminated are: Sevilla, Zubeldia, Iglinski, Totschnig, Brochard, Serrano, Jaksche, Pereiro and Leipheimer.

On to stage 21 and the final nine in reverse order:

9. Armstrong
8. Julich
7. Basso
6. Mancebo
5. Evans
4. Ullrich
3. Popovych
2. Moreau
1. Vinokourov

Of course the Tour is raced as the Tour and the only elimination is on time but as you might expect, team leaders do well in an elimination format - courtesy of team protection and their abilities in the time trial and the mountains. Perhaps the elimination Tour would not be so different after all.

For me the surprises were the lesser names that survived until near the end - Iglinski, Kashechkin, Astarloza, Egoi Martinez. Perhaps these guys are worth watching over the next couple of years.

Finally, kudos to Vinokourov - the guy who never gives up, who attacks, gets chased by his own team, gets dropped, comes back, attacks again. I'd say he is a deserving winner of the 2005 virtual elimination Tour de France.

Michael Noble
Sunday, January 1, 2006

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Recent letters pages

Letters 2005

• December 23: McQuaid and the UCI, Cyclists in South Australia, Bart Wellens, That Damn Lance, Patrice Clerc Interview, Don't accuse every top athlete, Dope so you can, Sanctions for doping - episode 99, Allan Butler tribute
• December 16: An embarrassment of riches, The chickens have come home to roost, McQuaid and the UCI, UCI vs Grand Tour organisers, At least they have something in common, Back to the seventies, Basso at Giro 2006, Cycling is best at what it does, Dope so you can, Cycling one dimensional, Don't accuse every top athlete, Heras and drugs, Where are all of Heras' supporters?, Dick Pound, Chasing an inevitable high, SF Grand Prix
• December 9: Basso at Giro 2006, Heras EPO test procedure, The Heras case, Where are all of Heras' supporters?, Heras and drugs, Do you have to ask why?, Dope so you can, Global doping, The burden of proof, Chasing an inevitable high, EPO, Colorado State Patrol, SFGP - Bring it back!
• December 2: Heras EPO test procedure, Heras - three times lucky, The Heras case, Another profile in disappointment, SFGP - Bring it back!, San Francisco Grand Prix, San Francisco GP, Tyler Hamilton, Chasing an inevitable high, Circumstantial evidence, The burden of proof, Global Doping, Graeme Obree, Moron or marketing genius, Exciting again
• November 25: San Francisco GP, San Fran Grand Prix, San Fran GP, San Francisco city supervisor responds, A tale of two cities, Tyler Hamilton - UCI leaks, Wire in the blood part II, Tyler Hamilton, Hamilton wait time, Heras - three times lucky?, What is the UCI doing?, Exciting again, Le Tour will live on without Armstrong, Moron or marketing genius, A modest proposal, Weekend club racing world championships
• November 18: Heras - three times lucky?, What is the UCI doing?, Exciting again, 2006 Tour de France, Positive urine EPO tests, Le Tour will live on without Armstrong, LeBlanc's Tour snub of Armstrong, Tour of Southland, Schlimmer response, Exercise-induced asthma
• November 11: LeBlanc's Tour snub of Armstrong, Exciting again, Le Tour will live on without Armstrong, Armstrong, the TdF, etc, The 2006 Tour de France and Lance, Lance, Le Tour and Ethics, Armstrong snub at Tour presentation, Pro wrestling and cycling, Swimming and Cycling, What TdF?, Fair justice, Another doping letter, Where has common sense gone?, Technology in cycling, Schlimmer
• November 4: LeBlanc's Tour snub of Armstrong, The 2006 Tour de France and Lance, Le Tour de malcontent, Tour de France 2006, What TdF?, Le Tour wounded, Gossip ruins cycling, EPO, Exercise-induced asthma, Dick Pound and soccer, Tour of US, Tour of California, Swimming and Cycling
• October 28: Le Tour de Malcontent, LeBlanc's Tour snub of Armstrong, Caution needed, TdF 2006, Has cycling become a honky tonk sport?, Tristan Hoffman, UN effort to fight doping in sport, UCI ProTour, Cam Jennings, Exercise-induced asthma, Chris Sheppard is a class act, Why?, Crocodile Trophy - worlds' toughest race?
• October 14: Infallible doping tests?, Get on with your life, Doping. What else?, Pound versus Armstrong, Hamilton, etc, L'Equipe forgot - or not, John Lieswyn, Eddy Merckx
• October 7: John Lieswyn, Bravo, Lieswyn, 1999 Tour de France urine samples, Allan Butler, Tyler Hamilton, Doping versus biomechanical enhancements, Doping control, McQuaid's image, Comment on Chris Horner at Zuri Metzgete, Scientific proof, Thank goodness Moreno lost, What has happened to American Cycling?, Pound versus Armstrong, Hamilton, etc, French bias
• September 30: Petacchi and McEwen's reactions, Ale-Jet, Ale-Jet blasts his critics..., Petacchi's class, Petacchi, Bravo, Lieswyn, French bias, Tom Danielson, What has happened to American Cycling?, Quote of the year, At the heart of the matter, Lance's EPO tests, Doping control, On Pound and the like, Pound Ill informed, Verbruggen is wrong, Doping and apparel
• September 23: A quick thanks, Australian worlds team, Go Mick!, Infighting, Pound Ill informed, WADA mess, Heras and the Giro, Verbruggen is wrong, Chris Sheppard busted for EPO, Explaining increases in performance, Quote of the year, Vuelta rest day observations
• September 16: Vuelta rest day observations, Australian worlds team, Explaining the increases in performance, Debate settled, doping lives on, Samuel Sanchez, Scientific proof, The perfect crime, Another topic please, CYCLINGnews.com, Doping, Illegal motivation, Illegal motivation - another possibility, Lance and the Tour de France, Drug use, Alternate Universe, WADA, Chris Sheppard busted for EPO, Just Do It
• September 9: The debate rages, Bad for cycling, Lance and the Tour de France, EPO Testing and Haematocrit, Doping, Illegal motivation, Lance the Man, Armstrong and doping, Question for Dick Pound..., Land of the Free, home of the Brave, Lance, I have a better idea, Where are the results?, Armstrong's Tour comeback, Don't make that mistake, Lance, Response to the test
• September 2: Lance Armstrong, all-American boy, Doping, Claude Droussent lies, L'Equipe credibility, Lance versus Jan, Jan versus Lance, Cold fusion and Lance, The perfect crime, EPO and the Wink Wink Standard, Germany owed four yellow jerseys?, Lance, cycling and cancer, Lance issues, The whole Lance doping issue, Neither defense nor attack, The test, Land of the Free, home of the Brave, Armstong couldn't come clean, Summarising the Lance situation, Lance's tests, Keep an open mind, Lance and doping, Check results before you wreck yourself, Seeing is believing, L'Equipe and ASO, and Lance, Lance and EPO, Aussie perspective on the upcoming worlds, A rave rather than a rant
• August 26: Lance and LeBlanc, Lance versus France, Can of worms story, The Test, Benoit Salmon wins the 1999 Tour, The perfect crime, Armstrong tests positive, L'Equipe and ASO, Lance rubbish, Lance and the French yellow press, Armstrong, EPO and WADA, Lance Downgrading Armstrong victories, Lance doping garbage, Lance versus Jan, Doping, Six stages to win the 99 tour, EPO test under scrutiny, Lance irony, Lance as a spokesman, Cyclists and politicians, Verbruggen's campaign to elect his successor, John Lieswyn, Can of worms, Americans in Paris
• August 19: Ned Overend, Guidi positive, What is going on at Phonak?, Ullrich's riding style, How about credibility from both sides?, Lieswyn's gesture
• August 12: Pro Tour 2006, Credibility from both sides?, Zabel leaves T-Mobile, Chris Horner, Ullrich's riding style, Well done Wayne!, Armstrong and class, Possible correlations
• August 5: Zabel leaves T-Mobile, Thanks from a survivor, Bicycle safety, Message for Chris Horner, Perspective, Discovery in ninth, Tech, Armstrong and class, The King of July!, Heras through rose colored glasses, Possible correlations
• July 29: Perspective, France and Lance's Legacy, Armstrong and class, Best Wishes to Louise, Levi's Diary, Heras through rose colored glasses, The King of July, Here we go again!, Treat Lance like the others, Tech, Lance Armstrong's time trial equation, Life begins at 30
• July 22: McEwen - villain to superhero, Underdogs and overdogs at the Tour, Big George, George Hincape, Hincapie's stage win, Cadel's Tour memory, What the fans would love to see, Is Godefroot really NOT the man?, A true classic, Phonak's poor sportsmanship, Phonak double standards, My new hero, Discovery Channel tactics, Lance Infomercial?, Treat Lance like the others, TdF sprint finishes, Leaky Gas?, Little black box
• July 15: The best seat in the house, Joseba Beloki, Message for Chris Horner, Treat Lance like the others, Lance Infomercial?, McEwen defense, Rail lines in the TdF, Ruse Discovered?, Discovery's unanimous breakdown, IS Jan really the man?, Cycling socks, Patrick Lefevre quit your whining, Armstrong and class, Leaky Gas?, TdF sprint finishes, Who is in charge of the UCI?, Tires and slippery roads, Response to the Vowels of Cycling, Little black box
• July 8: McEwen defends himself, Tires and slippery roads, Random test on Lance Armstrong, French Government dope controls, The Pro Tour and Grand Tours, Tour de France's early finish?, Here we go again!, Thank you, Ed Kriege, Lance Infomercial?, No, the other Merckx!, The Vowels of Cycling, Armstrong's pre-Tour communiqués, Armstrong and class
• July 1: No, the other Merckx!, Armstrong's pre-Tour communiqués, The Vowels of Cycling, Figures of merit - TdF tipping, Lance Infomercial?, Daily Terror, Sydney article, Why Michael Rogers will be awesome with T-Mobile, I love it!, MTB news, Twins
• June 24: Sydney article, Hit and run on cyclists - Australia's new blood sport?, Another fatal hit and run on Australian cyclists, How can Ullrich win the Tour?, Drop Verbruggen, The second American, When the Tour heads up, Droppin' the Kilo!, Kilo or no go, What is Michael Rogers thinking?, Rogers to T-Mobile, For the love of god don't do it Mick!, The first yellow jersey, Horner Impressive, Leave T-Mobile/Fassa Bortolo, renew your career!, Horner's stage win at the Tour de Suisse, Bobby Julich, Daily Terror, Hell on Wheels review
• June 17: Droppin' the Kilo!, Killing the kilo and 500, The kilo, Axing the Kilo?, The track Time Trials, The first yellow jersey, Armstrong and Class, The year of the comeback, Horner's stage win at the Tour de Suisse
• June 10: The year of the comeback, An open letter to Cadel Evans, How Ullrich can win the Tour, USPRO/Liberty, Lance, the Tour and the Giro, Lance and the Tour, Show us your discards Godefroot!, Armstrong and Class, Ivan's training ride, Giro comments
• 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
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