Letters to Cyclingnews - December 8, 2006

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.

Genevieve Jeanson
Floyd Landis on Real Sports
Deutschland Tour
Bjarne's ignorance factor
USADA does it again
Labs and testing
Astana denied ProTour license
Isaac Gálvez
McQuaid
Question about DNA testing
Le Tour de Langkawi 2007

Genevieve Jeanson

In the late 90's I was assisting my step-daughters to race bicycles. They achieved some success but never went on to add to them when they became adults.

But during that time one of the people they raced against was Genevieve Jeanson. Jeanson was a last year junior when I observed her closely because of the way she rode.

What was clear to me was that Genevieve was a serious cyclist in every meaning of the word. She obviously was dedicated and trained with the ferocity of a world class cyclist even at that time. Her results obviously demonstrated that dedication as well. She was absolutely head and shoulders above her competition. There were a few other women juniors of that time as well that stood out as well, demonstrating a commitment to racing, but none so sharply as a 17 year old Genevieve Jeanson in my memory.

It was no surprise to me that she went on to become an overwhelming force in women's senior class racing. Neither was it very surprising to me that she often left the competition in the dust exactly as she had the junior racers I watched her dominate.

Has the culture of blaming every superior performance on drugs become dominant as well? I have about reached the end of my rope concerning this.

Bicycle racing is a beautiful sport and there is certainly a problem with drugs. And that problem must be addressed. But if we cannot have any win without front page headlines demanding such successes could only be the result of drugs then perhaps it is time I simply ride my bike and forget whatever is going on in professional racing.

Tom Kunich
Saturday, December 2, 2006

Respond to this letter

Floyd Landis on Real Sports

I am curious to hear what other readers think about the recent Floyd Landis interview on HBO's Real Sports. Hopefully HBO is airing this outside the USA, but at least some other readers must have seen this episode.

Bryant Gumbel asked some very direct questions about doping in the peloton, including whether or not Landis had ever witnessed doping by other riders or been pressured to dope himself. Did Floyd come off as "clean" and having nothing to hide, or did readers in this forum think otherwise?

One thing is for sure, Floyd claims he knows of no doping but also admits to having been tempted in the past and to wondering if other riders were on dope and he should be as well. Floyd also claims he was never pressured to dope, and that he doesn't know any riders who were. It really seemed strange to me, that as Gumbel pointed out, Floyd could make these claims after having been on a team that had several riders test positive for doping while in competition.

Anyone else see this?

Jim Snook
San Diego
Friday, December 1, 2006

Respond to this letter

Deutschland Tour

What on earth is going on here? Here we have the ludicrous situation of race organisers and the head of the UCI joining in and condemning riders without any proceedings having been brought against the riders. What information or proof about the riders named in the Puerto affair do they have that we don't?

Kai Rapp says he is buddies with Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme and speaking for him says he is in agreement with this state of affairs too. These riders won't be in their races. In the case of Proudhomme we are yet to hear that directly from his lips.

Herr Rapp needs to keep quiet and retain some sense of dignity until something positive (no pun intended) materialises! They are doing incredible damage to their credibility and our sport by keeping up this constant vitriolic rhetoric against riders so far - not even officially accused of doping offences and looking even more likely - that they won't be anytime soon.

David Norwich.
Fountainhall, Scotland
Monday, December 4, 2006

Respond to this letter

Bjarne's ignorance factor

I normally don’t write anything on the Internet. But this one I can’t let go.

I’m not saying that Ivan Basso was a cheat, we don’t have the proof. But saying that Bjarne Riis abandoned his rider is nonsense. He just followed the rules laid down by the ProTour teams and the UCI, that was to show the world, that he believes in the community and future of pro cycling. Something that Discovery Channel and Johan Bruyneel could learn from!

I can’t understand why many Americans don’t get that there is a world outside the US, that doesn’t approve of doping and cheating. Just the other night I was watching a US sports program, where the so called experts were talking about if Mark McGwire should be voted in the Hall of Fame (Baseball). This one guy, apparently a person who could vote on this matter, said that as long he was entertained he didn’t care if the players were taking anabolic steroids or amphetamine.

He would vote them in the Hall of Fame, even though they cheated to reach the top off their career. He thought it was entertaining.

Is this the American way of teaching young kids in high school and college, that if you dope you will get in the Hall of Fame?

Claus Madsen
Denmark
Friday, December 1, 2006

Respond to this letter

USADA does it again

Dear Anne,

I too am confused by what is happening. However, my take is a bit different then yours. It appears from what was reported on cyclingnews.com that Miss Jeanson’s EPO test was a false positive, i.e., she is not guilty – from 11/29.

“The agreement between USADA and Jeanson, dated November 1, 2006, comes after a recent expert report submitted by Belgian doctor Joris Delanghe, hired by Jeanson, who questioned Jeanson's test results from the 2005 International Tour de Toona, claiming it to be a false positive.”

If that is the case, she should have no penalty at all and should, in fact, get a great big apology from USADA. Your letter seems to imply that Miss Jeanson is getting away with something; that does not seem to be the case, though one could argue that she should have gotten a real penalty for missing a test.

Chet Ritchie
USA
Friday, December 1, 2006

Respond to this letter

Labs and testing

Thank goodness someone else has enough common sense to see this line of testing. Whilst it would make testing at least twice as expensive, I believe there would be far less false positives, less chance for suspicion of corruption and less chance of legal challenges.

After all , if your doctor tells you he thinks you have terminal cancer, are you just going to take his word or are you going to get a second opinion from a different doctor? It also allows for different interpretations of the tests to be examined and discussed by the labs before committing someone to suspension. This should not just be a fight for cyclists, but all sports should get their head around it and support the opening up of more labs.

Peter McHue
Brisbane Australia
Saturday, December 2, 2006

Respond to this letter

Astana denied ProTour license

Well, I give up. Evidently God really does not want Alexander Vinokourov to win the tour! Crashes, team scandals, and now ProTour intervention -- the man can hardly get his butt to the start line of the Tour, much less its finish.

What a cruel fate to befall the most exciting and gutsy rider of the decade. It will be many years before I stop feeling bitter about this.

Sebastian Lecourt
California
Sunday, December 3, 2006

Respond to this letter

Isaac Gálvez

I also saw the crash, and totally agree with you Tony.

I only assume that the ‘medics’ at track side were the equivalent of British St John Ambulance staff, i.e. un-paid helpers, who are trying there best to keep sporting events going?

I am not knocking these people who give up their free time to help, if fact I admire them because without them we would have no grass roots sporting events. But surely at a ‘professional sporting’ event where an entrance fee is charged and with the sport in such a turmoil with ‘dopies’ there would have been a trained medical doctor readily available? I assume the slimmer lady in the brown blouse who turned up later was a doctor?

It wouldn't have been quite as bad if the medics would have had mobile phones or radios to request the equipment they needed, rather than having to ‘run’ the length of the straight to get it, which I believe they did two or three times.

I would also like to think that the UCI will now look into track designs around the world, and recommend that this type of ‘hanging over the edge’ barrier be done away with, or improved upon so a tragedy like this never happens again.

Speaking to various people on Sunday, I like many others would like to see the ticket money from Sunday's cancelled event donated to the Galvez’s family.

My sincere condolences go to the Galvez family & friends. Truly a great loss to them and our sport.

Mick
Zenith
Wednesday, December 6, 2006

Respond to this letter

McQuaid

I just about fell out of my chair when I was reading the December 3 news on the site. Are you sure you got this quote right? Did McQuaid actually say "It is a voice for the three Grand Tours, so to a large extent that takes away the credibility of AIOCC." Oh the hypocrisy.

Does he not know of certain lab with unquestionable ties to a certain newspaper? What about their credibility Mr. McQuaid? What about the paper's role as a mouthpiece/denouncer of riders before evidence is in?

I had been ignoring this whole UCI/WADA quagmire until now. But this guy shows the true arrogance of the ‘leaders’ of this sport. And what is even worse, I will bet anything he does not even see the inherent conflict in his statements. Are we now stuck with the blind leading the clueless. God help the sport.

Sean Jones
Trinidad and Tobago
Monday, December 4, 2006

Respond to this letter

Question about DNA testing

Perhaps someone can explain to me this business about DNA testing.

In the December 4 latest news Hans-Micheal Holczer is quoted as having said, “I continue to assume that no rider will be allowed to start in any ProTour race unless he has made a DNA test, as the team managers agreed in Salzburg.”

What’s the point? Does he suspect that Basso or some other rider doesn’t have DNA? Or that they are some sort of genetic mutants?

If in a criminal proceeding you have some blood (which apparently the Spanish prosecutors do, but the UCI & WADA do not) you can take a DNA sample from a suspect and compare it with the evidence found in the criminal investigation and, within the limits of error, determine if the suspect’s DNA is a match to the evidence.

But to “do a DNA test” on 198+ riders in a Grand Tour without some suspect DNA to compare makes no sense whatever.

It seems that what Basso agreed to was that if it came to a trial in which a bag of blood was alleged to have come from Basso, he would give a DNA sample so that it could be compared with that evidence to disprove or prove conclusively that the blood in evidence came from him.

Ken Peck
Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Respond to this letter

Le Tour de Langkawi 2007

As a fellow cycling enthusiast, I feel that I should voice out for the sake of Le Tour de Langkawi and also cycling development in Malaysia.

I’m sure many people out there are wondering what is happening here and what is the Malaysia National Cycling Federation’s (MNCF) current status in the organization of the coming LTdL 2007. With two months to go, MNCF is still interviewing contractors to fill in the departments, no confirmed route, no teams, no sponsors; the sad news is what will happen to the contractors whom are still owed money? Initially, Red Revolution will take on the responsibility of repaying the remaining debts incurred by First Cartel. Since MNCF has taken over the wheel, would they help pay the debts? Many contractors will be left in the dirt if the debts can’t be settled.

Many staff and contractors who contributed to the development of the race will not be involved next year merely because MNCF has decided that this will be a ‘family affair’, people without the experience to them is not the issue. They have overlooked many dedicated people and local expertise. The Events Group can only do so much, everything else was done by locals in previous editions.

There have been so many things happening currently just because of the 23 million budget that the Malaysian Government will fork out for the Tour, subjective articles by NST only made things worse and First Cartel were not even given a chance to defend themselves. Some would ask why suddenly the government has such interest in LTdL and would help the event? This did not happen overnight, it was First Cartel who took the initial steps to find a solution to the financial problems faced, for months they worked with the Sports Ministry andTourism Ministry to save this precious event.

MNCF was quick to tag First Cartel as a ‘failed organizer’ when the federation itself; still have unpaid debts left hanging from previous local races. Why is MNCF so focused in organizing LTdL themselves? Maybe there’s another agenda embedded in their aim; to pay up their ‘own’ debts, or to fund next year’s Jelajah Malaysia (6-12 Jan07)? I wouldn’t want to say ‘I told you so’ if it does happen. Out of 28 cycling program in a year, they could only execute 3, so they should ask themselves ‘are they really capable to organize LTdL?’

Even the cycling development budget, from the LTdL fund, was the conclusion of First Cartel’s effort to build up cycling in Malaysia, they’ve even proposed a program which they will personally take on the responsibilities. Some of this money will be used to enable our riders/teams to compete in Asia Tour events and take riders to a higher level. It will be unfair to the local riders if MNCF does not pursue the proposed program, since they have already kicked out First Cartel.

From the performance in the current Asia Games in Doha, a journalist quoted ‘as predicted…’ that our national cycling squad won’t be able to perform. What is this mentality; was it already written in the cards that Malaysia can’t win against other countries? What has MNCF done to help our local riders? There are many potential cyclists in Malaysia who have been undermined by the lack of attention given by MNCF.

I would urge MNCF to mirror themselves before criticizing and feeding on First Cartel’s financial problems. First Cartel however, never failed in the technical, operations and managerial aspects of the race, why do they not see that?

I am disappointed at the recklessness of MNCF in the organization of LTdL07, what I foresee in the event next year will be complete chaos. I really do hope what they’re doing is for the love of cycling and not just to fill in their pockets.

Ahmad Lutfi
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Wednesday, December 6, 2006

Respond to this letter

Recent letters pages

Letters 2006

• December 1: Hamilton, Isaac Gálvez, USADA does it again, Bjarne's ignorance factor, Shorten the Vuelta?, Vuelta short, shorter, shortest, Labs and testing, Ullrich to CSC, Clean up cycling's own house first, Fed up with doping, Strange sponsorships, What about Leipheimer?, French anti-doping laboratory, Basso agrees to DNA testing, Basso to Discovery, What's going on behind the scenes?, Graeme Obree
• November 24: Graeme Obree, What about Leipheimer?, French anti-doping laboratory, Basso agrees to DNA testing, Basso to Discovery, Richard Virenque, UCI are the problem, What's going on behind the scenes?
• November 17: Saiz and Tinkoff, Countdown to the 2007 Tour, Improving the reliability of testing, Basso to Discovery, Cycling and DNA testing, Forgetting Tom Simpson, Operación Puerto and national federations, Refusing DNA testing - an admission of guilt?. Reverse blood doping, Richard Virenque, What's going on behind the scenes?
• November 10: Forgetting Tom Simpson, Tour Route, Basso to Discovery, Cycling and DNA testing, What is DNA testing?, Refusing DNA testing - an admission of guilt?, Jan Ullrich, Operación Puerto and national federations, Reverse blood doping, What's going on behind the scenes?, Comments on McQuaid
• November 3: Tour Route, Return of a real good guy, Cameron Jennings, Future Australian ProTour team, Neil Stephens, 2007 Tour Intro Video Snub, Richard Virenque, Reverse blood doping, Comments on McQuaid, Marc Madiot, Who’s more damaging?, What’s going on behind the scenes?, Wada & Cycling's Governing Body, UCI and Doping, The Pope of Cycling and the Spanish Inquisition, Refusing DNA testing - an admission of guilt?, Put up or shut up!, DNA, its so ‘easy’, DNA Testing In Cycling
• October 27: Tour Route, Fiorenzo Magni, Landis' presentation, Dr, Ayotte is Biased, Operation Puerto, Sample quality assurance protocols, Marc Madiot, Man on a mission, Comments on McQuaid, McQuaid Lunacy, Continental over ProTour, Just a Simple Thank you, Cycling deaths, Ullrich to Discovery, Ivan Basso and CSC, Reverse blood doping, Future Australian ProTour team, Saiz ProTour license,
• October 13: Guilty or not?, Forget about whom?, Innocence and DNA testing, Sporting fraud, Ullrich to Discovery, Landis in the court of public opinion, Women's track events, Cheating redefined, Cycling deaths
• October 6: Guilty or not?, Innocence and DNA testing, Women's track events, Cancellara, Cycling deaths, Is Dick Pound credible?, A load of Grappe?, Cheating defined, Floyd's turbo bottle, T-Mobile
• September 29: Bravo Paolo, T-Mobile, Shortened grand tours, Floyd's turbo bottle, Basso's DNA test refusal, Is Dick Pound credible?, Basso cleared, Natural process possible?, Cycling deaths, Frankie Andreu, Double standards, Cancellara
• September 22: Is Dick Pound credible?, Frankie Andreu, Millar's hollow victory, Cycling deaths, Go Chris, go, Tom's OK, Basso's DNA test refusal, Easier racing?, Floyd's turbo bottle
• September 15: Andreu's admission, Millar's hollow victory, Basso's DNA test refusal, The big ugly open secret, Dick Pound, Discovery's Vuelta double-standard, Doping tests and subjective evaluation, Fitting punishment, Hermida is clean, Floyd Landis' motion to dismiss, Easier racing, Operation Puerto, Thank you Chris Horner, The testosterone test, Mano a mano, Turbo bottle
• September 8: Turbo bottle, Discovery's Vuelta double-standard, Hunger Knock, Basso's DNA test refusal, Eneco, DNA testing, Fitting punishment, Natural process possible?, Operacion Puerto etc , Response to 'No Doping Control is Insane', Stage 17 water consumption, The Testosterone test, The Tour, What's up with Sevilla?, Mano a Mano
• September 1, part 1: The Eneco Tour controversy: Details, Reporting, Eneco vs doping, Time bonuses?, Who was at fault?, One of those things, Discovery behaviour, More barricades, No way for Schumacher to stop, Hard to stop, Officials to blame, The rules, Schumacher amazing, Hincapie's 2nd Place Trophy
• September 1, part 2: Dick Pound, Devil is in the detail, Diane Modahl and Floyd Landis, Dick McQuaid?, Fitting punishment, Floyd Landis and polygraph, Jake to play Lance?, La Vuelta coverage, Natural process still possible, likelihood uncertain, Protour rankings, Hour Record & Tour, Response to 'No Doping Control is Insane', Ullrich's trial by media
• August 25: Eneco Tour, Bring on an Hour Record, Cycling needs a dictator, Diane Modahl and Floyd Landis, Natural process still possible, likelihood uncertain, Response to 'No Doping Control is Insane', Testing procedures must be understood and public, A German Pound?, All winners dope?, Change the things we can, Track the testing, Cycling is not flawed, Defamation lawsuit, Dick Pound, How did the testosterone get there?, Julich: "No one is able to cheat anymore", Floyd Landis, Patrick Lefevere follow-up, Systematic doping? Where is the evidence?, Ullrich's trial by media, Unfair dismissals
• August 18, part 1: Natural process still possible - likelihood uncertain, Denial, Dick Pound, Oscar Pereiro, UCI - ProTour drug solution?, The problem with legalising doping, Changing the rules won't stop cheating, Scandal reduces respect, Blood tests, Corruption, A couple of questions, A couple of questions, A German Pound?, According to WADA: Who isn't doping?, Collect samples every day from everyone, Corruption in the system
• August 18, part 2: Does the dope fit the crime?, Doping and the death of pro cycling, Change the things we can, Doping, Landis, tests, Dufaux?, Floyd, dope, and cycling, Floyd's only way out, It's the jersey, Julich: "No one is able to cheat anymore", Landis affair, Landis and faulty test equipment, Landis and what he leaves behind, Lefevere, Phonak, and cycling's future, Stand by Our Man Landis, Only one positive, How did the testosterone get there?, Patrick Lefevere, Please help with these questions, Case thrown out, Stage 17 bad tactics or dope?, What were the actual results?, Wouldn't it be great, Zero tolerance
• August 11, part 1: Patrick Lefevere, "The media knew before I did", A couple of questions , Distribute the testing, A possible scenario for Landis, A real Tour, Anti-doping transparency, Anyone hear Jack Nicholson?, Are we fighting doping or not?, Bad for cycling - are you kidding?, Best way to deal with doping, Can some one please tell me... , Case thrown out, CIR and T/E tests, Collect samples every day from everyone, Complaining about drugs in cycling, Corruption in the system
• August 11, part 2: Cycling's reputation, Distortions in the Landis case, Does the dope fit the crime?, Doping, Doping in general, Doping, Landis, tests, Doping - the whole sorry mess, Drug testing for cyclists, Drugs & the Tour Down Under, Enough already!, Flawed process?, Only one positive, Unrealistic expectations
• August 11, part 3: Floyd Landis Affair, Floyd, dope, and cycling, Robbie Ventura, Hoping Floyd soon shows HIS evidence, I will prove it, Is this true (and if so, what's its import)?, Landis, Landis and Merckx, Legal black hole, Media circus, Operacion Puerto Victims, Pat McQuaid and doping... , Penalize teams, organizations
• August 11, part 4: Players, Post race reunion, Robbie Ventura, Solutions are there, Stage 17 Bad Tactics or dope?, T-E testing and Oscar Pereiro, Testosterone cheating, Testosterone Gremlins, The "System", doping, and so on, Who do you believe?, Time to level the playing field, UCI - ProTour Drug Solution?, Ullrich, Why process matters, Worse than VDB, Wouldn't it be Great!
• August 4, part 1: I will prove it, Doping, Landis, tests, Why process matters, Robbie Ventura, Rubbish!, Leadership & cleansing, 21st Stage, A few minor thoughts, Stage 17 water consumption, Was it a recovery prep?, Anti-doping transparency, Bad for cycling - are you kidding?, Best way to deal with doping
• August 4, part 2: Case thrown out, Center podium, Collect samples every day from everyone, Complaining about drugs in cycling, Confidence in the testing system, Courage off the bike, Who is Cowboy (2003)?, Crime and punishment, Nothing without the cyclists!, Davis and four others, Does the dope fit the crime?, Doping & money, Doping in cycling, An examination, Drug testing for cyclists, From a fellow pro, In Floyd ..., Do the right thing, Floyd's steroids, Grow Up and Get Real!, Future of testing, Idea for a clean Tour, Landis vs Periero TT, I'm done with cycling, I'm retired as a fan of the pros, Feel like a fool, I'm so disappointed
• August 4, part 3: Team management & doctors, It appears the dope does fit the Crime..., It was the whiskey, It's all a sham, It's everywhere., Nothing is conclusive, Worse than VDB, Cycling needs our support, Of all the tests…, Doesn't add up, Test timing, Players, Legal black hole, B-sample & Marco Pinotti, Landis is guilty of something, Former Phan, Landis Ordeal, Landis Situation, Landis, drugs and cycling, Landis: lab accreditation, The question, Laughingstock, Lawyers in tow, Leaks, Learn from NASCAR, Letter to Editor
• August 4, part 4: Losing hope against the dope..., Mitigating factor, No doping control is insane, One toke over the line, Keystone Cops, Operacion Puerto Victims, Raise the stakes, Something not right, Exhuming McCarthy, Testerone testing, Testing procedure, Landis has been caught, The Jack Daniels defense, The Landis Situation, French testing: a leaky boat, What a positive A sample means, The sieve called doping control, Time to level the playing field, US Perspective, WADA, UCI ruining sport, What about Pereiro?, What's the hold up?, Who's watching the henhouse?
• July 31, part 1: I will prove it, Stop the complaining, Public perception, The process - flawed?, Courage off the bike, Dallas on wheels, Surely not, Sick & insulted, Mitigating factor for Landis, Landis... it is a shame, Landis' abnormal (supernormal) results, Travesty, Who's watching the henhouse?, Could it have been the result of the bonk?, I'm sick of this!, One toke over the line
• July 31, part 2: Why does McQuaid make a bad situation worse, Why does the UCI make a bad situation worse, How one-off testosterone helps, Why risk it? Here's why., Must be natural, Sick of hearing about doping!, Previous reading?, If Landis turns out to be doped, Cycling on trial, All that is gold does not glitter, The science on testosterone, Maybe I am a fool, Loons, Results not yet known, Surely not, Cheated
• July 31, part 3: Who to believe, A slightly inappropriate Landis defence and proposal , Gut feeling, Jaded, Landis, Latest doping allegations, Tired of the system!, Cheating or not, Hard landing for the sport if Landis issue turns sour, Another Landis comment, Why?, Elevated T levels in Landis, Crucified, Floyd Landis, What is happening to cycling?
• July 31, part 4: Testing testosterone, It was the whiskey, Does the dope fit the crime?, Results not yet known, Landis - Say it ain't so!, Doping, Landis, tests, Landis - guilty until proven innocent, T/E ratio and treatment of Floyd Landis, Bad science and a possible solution, Testosterone is a natural substance, Confidence in the testing system
• July 28: Landis - Say it ain't so!, Surely not, The science on testosterone, Results not yet known, Jaded, Leave Landis ALONE!, "Everybody cheats." , Fairness of testing, Crucified, Who to believe?, Landis doping, The A and B test., Why does McQuaid make a bad situation worse?
• July 21, part 2: Legalising doping, Full transparency, Basso and DNA, Doping, lawyers, and Basso, Ullrich's Innocence, Tyler Hamilton, Did Millar come clean, Ullrich's doping plan, Doping and still suffering
• July 21, part 1: Stage 17, 2006 Tour, And the winner is?, Chicken!, Rasmussen not a "team player"?, Enough Lance, Floyd's bad day, Is Discovery really a true U.S. ProTour team?, First-time winners' past records, Kudos to Leblanc, Landis' aero bars, NORBA Nationals, Floyd's not "photogenically challenged", Respect the yellow jersey?, US Nationals, Very unsatisfying
• July 14, part 2: Landis' aero bars, Wide Open Before the Cols- An Average Fan's Predictions, US Nationals, Cipo @ the Tour, And the Winner is?, Boring spots, Disco Boys?, Enough Lance, Is Discovery really a true U.S. ProTour Team?, Kloden by default, Millar's new TT position, Photogenically Challenged Champions, Segregation is not the solution
• July 14, part 1: Legalising doping , Small world, Hamilton's fax, Cheats, Come clean, Simoni, Doping and the double standard, Dopers don't affect love of riding, Greg LeMond, Vino, Lance & LeMond
• July 7, part 2: Legalise it!, Doping, Greg LeMond, Plenty of riders don't dope, What I will do, Phonak, Come clean, Hide & Seek, The Early Signs coming True, Doping and sponsors, Santiago Botero not on the list, An alternative
• July 7, part 1: Are we paying these guys enough? Cardiac hypertrophy and sudden death, A cycling scandal? A sad day for cycling fans, Discovery's team leader, Easier racing won't help, Simoni, Cheats, Vinokourov, An open letter to Ivan Basso, Are we alone?, Sharing the road, Searching for an old book
• June 30, part 1: Easier racing won't help, Communidad Valencia and the ASO, Doping & fans, What a Shame, Sunny side of pro dopers, Tyler Hamilton: how long can he deny, The new "performance" enhancer, Greg LeMond, Armstrong's letter to IOC, Armstrong, L'Équipe, WADA & Pound, A call for one more test
• June 30, part 2: Ullrich and the Tour, Mancebo: The Unsung Hero, Hincapie to lead Disco, Jane Higdon, USA junior development, Voigt vs. Hincapie, Operation Puerto, Where there is smoke, there is fire, Watching the wheels come off, Why only cycling?, UCI request for riders to submit signed statements, UCI leadership questioned by reporters
• June 23: "Next!", Hincapie to lead Disco, USA junior development, Jane Higdon, A call for one more test, Armstrong's letter to IOC, Defending Landis, Doping, The Armstrong/L'Équipe/WADA/Pound affair, Spanish doping allegations, Team consequences, Voigt vs. Hincapie
• June 16: Pound should resign, Now I’m really confused, Vinokourov, Saiz, doping and the TdF, The Spanish operation, Misplaced sympathy, Name the suspects, Spanish doping, Opinions from France, ASO, Simoni vs. Basso, Voigt vs. Hincapie, Jens Voigt vs. George Hincapie, Voigt and Hincapie, Jane Higdon, Jeremy Vennell diary
• June 11: Simoni vs. Basso, Basso and Simoni, Simoni versus Basso, Simoni's smile, Sour grapes Simoni, Sarcastic, disgruntled fan?, Congrats to Jan, Non-round rings, Sport, Voigt and Hincapie, Jens Voigt, Three cheers for Jens Voigt, Jens Voigt vs. George Hincapie, Voigt vs. Hincapie, Thanks to Voigt and Manzano, Champion in countless ways, Chapeau Jens!
• June 9 - Special edition: Vino’s position, Astana-Wurth and the TdF, Vinokourov, Saiz, doping and the TdF, Spanish doping allegations, WADA, Vrijman's findings, That Report, WADA and Armstrong, WADA vs. UCI vs. the riders, WADA's double standard, WADA and Pound missing the point, Pound should resign, A Pound of what?, The role of the AIGCP, The Spanish operation, Botero interview, Say it isn't so, Manolo
• June 2: Simoni versus Basso, Simoni and Basso, Simoni, Simoni's smile, Simoni is a crybaby, Basso and Simoni, Sour grapes Simoni, Gibo Si-MOAN-i, Blood, drugs, cash and corruption, Sickening double standard, Spanish federations' reaction to Saiz, Don't be surprised by drug use, Giro d'Italia, Thanks to Voigt and Manzano, Chapeau Jens!, Jens Voigt, Three cheers for Jens Voigt, Jens Voigt is the man, Voigt 2006 vs Boogerd 1999, Voigt and Hincapie, Discovery’s Giro team, Altitude tents and EPO, Not just name-calling, Say it isn't so, Manolo, Spanish doping allegations, Armstrong and L'Equipe, CSC is a class act, Basso and CSC, Jimenez memories, Markers in drugs, Discovery Channel's Giro performance, Pound should resign, Giro live reporting, Banning of altitude tents, Bettini is consistent
• May 26: Their A-game's at home, The Tour and the TT, Jan's good form, Jan bashing, Congrats to Jan, The diesel, Double or nothing, Ivance Bassostrong, Bravo, Basso!, Discovery Channel's Giro performance, Bettini is consistent, Banning of altitude tents, When disqualification isn't enough, WADA should ban intervals
• May 26 - Special edition: Say it ain't so, Manolo, Say it isn't so, Spanish Federations' reaction to Saiz, The doping scandal to end them all
• May 19: Bettini is consistent, Banning of altitude tents, Hypoxic tents, WADA and altitude tents, Latest WADA crusade, WADA bans another, Congrats to Jan, Criticism of Jan Ullrich, Jan bashing, Jan ready for the Tour, Jan's good form, Armstrong - the New American Idol, The same old Lance, Defeatism in Discovery, Giro reactions, One of Savoldelli's secrets, Rasmussen's time trial position, Riders under helmets, Difference between following and leading, The Tour and the TT, Bruyneel's Giro comments, When disqualification isn't enough
• May 12: Marion Clignet, Bruyneel's Giro comments, Criticism of Jan Ullrich, Jan bashing, Jan's weight, Defeatism in Discovery, Lance talking up Basso, The same old Lance, Rasmussen's time trial position, Giro team time trial, Hincapie in Paris-Roubaix, Riders under helmets
• May 5: Criticism of Jan, Criticism of Ullrich, The Ullrich-bashing bandwagon, Ullrich in 2006, Jan dramas, More Jan dramas, Bruyneel's Giro comments, Team helmets, Volunteering at bike races, Hincapie in Paris-Roubaix
• April 28: Working for the team in Georgia, Ullrich's thick skin, Ullrich and the 2006 Tour, Jan Ullrich racing, Ullrich and THAT wheel, Jan Ullrich, Jan dramas, Paris-Roubaix technology, Hincapie in Paris-Roubaix, Paris-Roubaix controversy, Paris-Roubaix comments, Paris-Roubaix tech, Team helmets
• April 21: Paris-Roubaix final say, Paris-Roubaix controversy, Paris-Roubaix and technology, George and the fork issue, Quotable quotes, Cycling technology, Behaving like a champion, Paris-Roubaix: UCI Code of Ethics
• April 14: Continuing to behave like a champion, No curse of the rainbow jersey, Tom Boonen, Hang in there, Saul, The gods of cycling, Trek and Paris-Roubaix, Looking out for George, Paris-Roubaix and technology, Broken forks and broken dreams, Jan Ullrich, Jan dramas, Disqualifications, So you know, Paris - Roubaix, THAT railway crossing incident, Need for consistency, Paris-Roubaix - poor Cancellara, Paris Roubaix disqualification, Paris-Roubaix: setting a good example, Roubaix disqualification decision, UCI Roubaix disgrace, Paris Roubaix disqualification, Paris Roubaix affair, Paris-Roubaix fiasco, Paris-Roubaix sham, Racing's railroad crossings, George's bike failure, Let them race, Roubaix controversy
• April 12 (Special Paris Roubaix edition): Paris-Roubaix disqualification, Disqualification on the pave, Level crossing in Paris-Roubaix, Rules are rules, Paris-Roubaix, McQuaid's reasoning, Pat McQuaid and train barriers, Railway crossing at Paris-Roubaix, Disqualifications in Paris-Roubaix, Paris-Roubaix crossing, Roubaix controversy, Grade crossings, Railroad crossings, Safety at Paris-Roubaix, Paris-Roubaix sham, Paris-Roubaix safety, Paris-Roubaix rail crossing, Boonen and friends cross the tracks, McQuaid's explanation, Roubaix disqualification decision
• April 7: Hang in there Saul, De Ronde parcours, Edwig van Hooydonk, Discovery’s American riders, Tom Boonen, April fools, Hair care product line, Brave new world, Commonwealth Games time trial, Photo of the year

The complete Cyclingnews letters archive