Letters to Cyclingnews - February 3, 2006

International teams #2

Gee, national, not international, teams with 33 per cent of the riders from the nation where the main sponsor's company is based? Sounds like the Olympics, another professional sporting venture, to me. International professional teams make sense to me. After all, it is a business in the end. The sponsors like them since their goal is international exposure of their products and services. At least the U.S. Postal Service did for many years, and I agreed with them. They should do it again! Injecting more nationalism into professional cycling is not a good idea in my opinion as there is already too much flag waving going on.

PS: The Olympics should go back to all amateur athletes with WADA concentrating its efforts there. Again, just my opinion.

Pat O'Brien

Tucson, Arizona
Friday, January 27, 2006

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Liberty Seguros at Tour Down Under

In the pivotal stage 4 of the Tour Down Under, with Ag2r's Gerrans holding a 7 second lead over Liberty's Sanchez, it is clear from the news reports that Ag2r and Liberty both had two riders in the break ahead of the main group containing Gerrans and Sanchez. After Sanchez attacked race leader Gerrans on the KOM climb, Ag2r had their two riders, Calzati and Arrieta, drop back to help Gerrans. But for some reason Liberty held back only Rojas to help Sanchez, while teammate Aaron Kemps stayed ahead with the original break. Even with a 3 - 2 advantage, it took a long time for the Ag2r trio to catch Sanchez and preserve Gerrans' lead. Had Kemps waited for Sanchez, it seems to me it would have been that much more difficult for Gerrans to catch Sanchez, giving Sanchez the best chance to wrest the leader's jersey from Gerrans.

Can anyone explain why Liberty didn't use all their available riders to help Sanchez win the Tour?

Thad Walker

Wisconsin, USA
Tuesday, January 24, 2006

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Anti-doping tactics

I think two anti-doping measures would go a long way to easing the minds of cycling critics. First, if one person on a team fails a test, the whole team should be punished. Cycling is a team sport, so if one person is cheating the others benefit from their increased performance. Certainly the added burden of letting your teammates down will deter more riders from cheating (especially if it means fines and/or ejection from a race for the whole team). Second, retro-testing should be implemented but it should be grandfathered. Starting now, all new samples can be saved for future testing. But all samples already taken are exempt from retro-testing. I think this is the only way riders would support a retro-test, and it should still seriously deter riders from doping. Something tells me that there will never be a doping method that can beat the testers indefinitely. It may take a few years, but cyclists who cheat will eventually be caught.

Charlie Philbrook

London, Canada
Tuesday, January 24, 2006

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Ullrich and the 2006 Tour

Ivan Basso the winner of the Tour? This is very possible, but don't count Der Kaiser out just yet. Jan will be back, just mark my words. Ivan has greatly improved his time trialling, but still has a long way to go to catch Jan at his best. Also, Jan is more motivated than ever to win and his trim physique is testament to that. It will be a close one, but I still call it for Ullrich (for once I agree with Lance Armstrong). Ivan won't have Lance to ride with and pace with in the mountains this year and will have to do it all alone (maybe Valverde might help somewhat here, but how long will he last in the race?). I think people will be surprised by Jan's performance in the hills this year. Ivan will have to ride it perfectly to win and I don't see it. Not this year anyway. Not after winning the Giro as well.

Also, with respect to Disco winning the Tour this year - come on now. I love George but he is at best a top ten rider in the tour. He had a great stage 15 last year but where was he in all of the other mountain stages. He could not hope to keep up with Basso, Ullrich, Valverde, Menchov, Rassmussen and the others, day after day in the mountains. Also, love Paolo but come on now, he barely won a talent-depleted Giro. Good as he is, he has never looked great at the Tour. If Basso hadn’t gotten sick, he would have won the Giro going away last year. I would also like to see Popo move up the next step of the ladder but he has shown nothing to indicate he can win a major tour and the Tour de France especially. Disco will do okay and don't get me wrong. I look for them to win a stage or two and place a couple in the top ten, but an overall win is nowhere in the cards for these guys this year! Not without a few serious injuries and crashes anyway.

Scott Wilcox
Tuesday, January 24, 2006

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Ullrich and the 2006 Tour #2

You know what ladies and gentlemen? I think I am in the midst of a quandary. I am one of the most loyal CSC fans around. I've got the kit, I follow all the faces they enter and half of my "cycle room" is filled with CSC posters and the like. I even put into motion the purchase of a brand new Cervelo frame this year which I will take my time and build up this year. I am also a fan of Ullrich. During the Armstrong year I cheered for Lance but quietly hoped that Ullrich would pull something out of his hat and steal a win. I mean, come ON! How GREAT a Tour would it have been if he were able to do that!? The other half of my "cycle room" is filled with Ullrich posters. He's a power rider who can push massive gears uphill and I love every minute of it.

What am I to do? Basso and the CSC team I love because their team is formidable and they work together like a well-oiled machine. Ullrich I like because of his brute strength and consistent Tour showings, and the T-Mobile team ain't nothin' to sneeze at either, folks. I'm at a loss. While I am sure that most of my friends will be cheering on one side of the fence or the other come Tour de France time I find myself on both. What say all of you?

Warren Beckford

Bloomfield, CT, USA
Thursday, January 26, 2006

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Too early to call the Tour

I think it’s a little too early to start handicapping the TDF. Too many questions abound:

1. Basso is certainly getting better every year, and Ullrich may be "topped out", but he hasn't brought his best to the table in a decade (2003 doesn't count because his team was so weak he had no chance).
2. Winning the TDF is a mental thing as well. Who will be mentally stronger and more motivated? Ullrich seems to have more reasons to win this particular year. If Basso doesn't win this year, he must know he will get many more chances. It does seem to be the last chance for Jan.
3. With no Lance this year the race will be completely different than in the past. Judgements based on last year might be folly. I predict a great number of lead changes, making those yellow-jersey presentations more interesting!
4. There is still half a year until the tour. Much can happen. A crash, illness or poor planning (they're BOTH doing the Giro this year?) may make the difference.
5. Finally, there are a number of other great riders out there just waiting to sneak up and steal a TDF win right out from under the noses of the two favourites – Vino, Valverde or someone from Discovery, perhaps?

All I know for certain right now is come July I will be expecting the unexpected every single day.

Rob Found

Jasper, Canada
Thursday, January 26, 2006

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Tour of California

Greetings, Oh Best of All Internet Cycling Sites!

Reading you is my first activity every day, after putting the coffee water on. I depend on you for knowledge of all things cycling. These things must be common to many bike riders, young and old. Also, recently I have been looking in vain to discover if there will be any in depth media coverage for the first ever Tour of California? The Only Lance Network seemed pretty booked up with paintball, skateboard and similar athletic activities. Does cyclingnews.com plan to have it’s usual excellent live coverage for this new event?

Please inform. It’s been a long winter with four months of frozen brown left.

Jeff Donaghue

Mineral Point, Wisconsin
Thursday, January 26, 2006

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Phonak training camp feature

Dear cyclingnews.com,

I really enjoyed reading your account of a day in the life of Phonak's training camp. The photo essay was great and the pics were well-chosen. Also, I enjoyed reading the account of the route and especially how Landis' teammates put the heat on him after the climbs.

I'd like to see more "day in the life" features of various teams' training camps. It makes for great reading and gives us amateur racers something to learn from and reflect on as we prepare for our own '06 road season. Keep up the good work!

Eric Brandt

Littleton, Colorado
Friday, January 27, 2006

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Aussie national champs

It's been some while since I have been to an Australian national championship, but I expect the controversy is largely generated by the ghastly mustard coloured jackets worn by the commissaries at the Australian Championships. I don't know if they still wear them, but any entity that organizes events that insist upon such vulgar and ill fitting jackets is bound to be guilty of erroneous judgements on a fairly regular basis. Even the women, who always have more taste in these sorts of things, were not exempt from this fashion apocalypse. I remember looking at the results one year and they had given my wife's position to somebody else who hadn't even ridden in the event, albeit with the same first name. My wife and I spoke to the commissaire, but the jacket had made its mark. He gazed open-mouthed into space, grunting sporadically, and I think my own logic was somehow mysteriously affected by the jacket. The result was never changed, but we have somehow learned to forgive, but not forget. The jacket, the jacket! It will haunt me for the rest of my days.

Tony Weller

Brockenhurst, UK.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006

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More Kilo and 500m TT argument

Dear Cyclingnews.

I know the arguments about the kilo and 500m time trials being dropped from the Olympic program have slipped silently away, it seems, most people accepting the fact that they will not return - a very sad situation indeed.

However, I would like to know if the UCI and IOC are going to do something about the imbalance of track cycling events between men and women sprinters.

The men have three events on the Olympic programme, the sprint, the team sprint and the keirin. The women have now only got one, the sprint. If the UCI and IOC want to promote equality in sport then surely they need to approve of the women having a team sprint and keirin as well? It's only logical.

I feel sad for the women sprinters that they currently have only one event at the Olympics. It must make it hard for them to get support and sponsorship when the general public think the Olympics is the be-all and end-all of sport.

The other thing I worry about is that the UCI will phase out the track time trials from the world championships and world cups at the elite level, because you know what would happen then? The changes would continue down the line at national, state, district and club events, over all age categories. Soon enough the track time trials will be passed into history (like elite level tandem racing) and the sport will lose its most pure event.

Gary Jackson

Australia
Tuesday, January 31, 2006

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McQuaid and the UCI

Hi, I have just read the interview with Pat McQuaid.

He still does not adequately explain the exclusion of the Kilo and the 500 from the Olympic Programme. I see that athletics have also added the 3000 women’s steeple to their programme, another event and another medal.

Something is seriously wrong with the UCI and they appear very autocratic and not transparent. They seem to say "that's that and we will not discuss the issue further", leaving lots of questions still to be answered. Seems to me that there needs to be substantially more explanation and investigation into this issue when other sports can add events and medals and cycling has to drop one of the most significant events.

This issue and the Pro Tour debacle seem to be far from resolved. Keeping it short, but I see the UCI has trumpeted its' latest market research (no doubt conducted at great cost) about the viability of the Pro Tour and its future value. Like statistics, which are easily manipulated to make any point you wish, market research is just another smoke screen which can say anything you want it to, dependent upon the parameters you set.

I believe there are many 'other' factors behind many of the decisions made recently by the UCI. Like triathlon administration, many appear to be in it for their own ends and only seek to ingratiate themselves to bodies like the IOC to make them feel important rather than act for the good of the sport.

Just my two cents worth…

Tony Unicomb

Australia
Thursday, January 26, 2006

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Australian championships

Was there this much of a hoo-haa when Jamie Drew won the nationals after crossing the line after Jeremy Hunt? For that matter did Henk Vogels, Mark Walters, Jacob Piil, Stefano Zanini or Francisco Ventoso ever get to wear the stars and stripes jersey? I don't agree with running two separate races consecutively be it a national championship or a club race.

Too often riders with different agendas can find themselves in a position to assist each other to both reach their goals. This can sometimes mean that the best rider on the day doesn't always win. I agree with Simon King, would the main chasing peloton have responded differently if it had been an elite rider out front? I don't believe that Walker would have been brought back if he were an elite rider but unfortunately his win will always have us armchair critics pondering the circumstances of his win.

Ross Mackay

Sydney, Australia
Friday, February 3, 2006

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Support for Mark French

Just a note of support for Mark French in his attempts to return to elite track cycling. Well done Mark on having the courage to stand up and have a go. I wish you well as you stand up for yourself and continue with a sport that you love even if some involved at the highest level don't love you.

I have always felt that innocent or guilty that the AIS was negligent in the support and supervision it gave to a teenager in their care, and the response from your "heroes and role models" was appalling. That facts have shown you to have been innocent makes the witch hunt in which the federal government, Cycling Australia and the media where all complicit all the more disgraceful.

The support shown by spectators at your recent qualifying time attempt shows that the average cycling enthusiast is able to assess the facts for themselves and is happy to welcome you back to the fold. I just hope that your cycling peers are able to live up to your standards of courage and humility.

Nic Ryan

Inverloch, Victoria, Australia
Wednesday, January 25, 2006

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Sanctions for doping

First - team managements test their riders for hematocrit levels and call-out if sanctions are declared for "high levels".

Since medical histories and records show that 38-45 seems to be "normal levels" for this value for rested and fit athletes why have not the authorities set lower values for this health-check figure since it was first introduced? Why not have this level as a maximum at the start of a Grand Tour and reduce it by (say) 0.15 or 0.2 per race day to emulate the expected reduction caused by fatigue during the race. This would make blood-doping and even the (reputed) micro-dosing of EPO risky to race-riders. They seem to accept the long term health risks that they take when doping!

Secondly, and CATCH 22 - race clean and win - is he really clean? Race clean and lose - are the winners clean? Once again readers and riders are "welcoming back a drugs cheat" - David Millar! He claims that he will prove that he will race clean and win. - CATCH 22 - will you believe him?

This rider is still "serving" his ban but already being quoted all over the place - vowing to prove that it's possible to race clean, setting himself up to be a role model for youngsters, complaining about the depression and drink regime (another choice drug) that he dropped into.

He has blamed everyone and their systems for cheating but never actually accepted that he was the one who made the decision to cheat -"they made me resort to it!" - "it was their fault when the bike failed" etc (Cofidis backed him up on this one for his Tour prologue bike and he repaid them by taking drugs!)

To date he has never actually apologised to the people who lost money as a result of his decision, not offered to repay the costs (British Cycling members had to pay extra for their membership to fund his appeal), team and race sponsors were defrauded etc...

If he wins will we believe it is clean? If he doesn't will he claim that the others cannot be clean? Back to start - CATCH 22!

Ian F. Herts

UK
Thursday, January 26, 2006

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Women's cycling

I watched with interest the coverage of the Australian national championships last weekend on SBS. I was however a little surprised by a statement by a commentator who said that the elite men went through the same point in the race as the elite women 26 minutes faster. Is that true? If so, were the women just simply terrified of the course as one of the commentators stated? With the standard of women's cycling in Australia apparently so high, why is this the case? These people are meant to be professionals and receive substantial funding and support form the AIS and other bodies.

Michael O'Keeffe
Friday, January 27, 2006

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Team strip

Unless you have the cross kink and ignoring the JCTDU, it's often hard to wring any excitement from the world of cycling at this time of year. So its great to have team presentations to look forward to. Now the actual substance of a team presentation is usually the very definition of boring (sample: "yes, my new bicycle is lighter/stiffer/prettier than last year's model/my previous sponsors/any bike I have ever ridden before"; "yes, I love the real monkey muck flavour of our new team sponsor's energy bar"). And I am sure psychologists will tell you there's something a little bit homoerotic about those "let's all stand around in our team strip" photos.

But the best bit is the worst-kit-for-the-coming-season competition. The constipated kangaroo on the SA.com/AIS strip is a bit "special" and gets an honorary mention, not least for the retro Mapei highlights on the sleeve (and matching socks), but you have to take into account likely big race appearances. With this in mind, I thought Unibet were going to hold out with the white and green thing but then Lampre came in with the mother of all smack downs to take the prize for ‘06 (at least so far!). I am a big Baden Cooke fan (and a bit partial to Cunego) but I'd appreciate it if Cyclingnews would make sure that if anyone from either aforementioned team appears in a podium photo, then it comes with a parental advisory warning.

Brendan Moylan
Friday, January 27, 2006

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Recent letters pages

Letters 2005

• January 24: Future of Spanish cycling, Australian championships, Aussie national champs - a deserved winner, Aussie nationals, World champion kit, Ullrich and the 2006 Tour, With Lance gone, Some observations on Oz, PCA suing Dick Pound, International teams
• January 17: EGO Mania, Basso: seeing double, Aussie nationals, Australian championships, Russell Mockridge, PCA suing Dick Pound, USA cycling, World champion kit, The future, Some observations on Oz
• January 6: The Tour hypocrisy, Pat McQuaid, McQuaid, Bart Wellens, Urine testing, Dope so you can
• January 3: That damn Lance, Bart Wellens, Cyclists in South Australia, EGO Mania, King Pound, Urine testing for rEPO, The Tour hypocrisy, Dope so you can, Give McQuaid a chance, Elimination Tour de France
• 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
• Letters Index – The complete index to every letters page on cyclingnews.com