THIS WEEK IN PRO CYCLING
Improve controls, stick with the sport
The Mailbag is a regular department on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have read in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to webletters@insideinc.com. Please include your full name, hometown and state or nation. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Writers are encouraged to limit their submissions to one letter per month. The letters published here contain the opinions of the submitting authors and should not be viewed as reflecting the opinions, policies or positions of VeloNews.com, VeloNews magazine or our parent company, Inside Communications, Inc.
Instead of shunning riders, improve doping controls
Editor:
I am very disturbed by not only the Amgen Tour of California doping rules, but also those of other organized professional bike races. Isn't the purpose of doping rules to maintain a level playing field by ensuring that no one rider is gaining benefit through the use of performance-enhancing drugs? The current rules look to remove riders who are suspected of doping in the past, and are not focusing on their particular race.
Organizers should be focused on keeping their races clean through the use of doping controls. My suggestion would be to add additional doping controls for those who are under suspicion. This way, they can control their own race and confidently say that it was ridden clean.
Dan Barber
Danvers, Massachusetts
Don’t abandon the sport
Editor:
I read some of the letters about ASO’s decision to ban Astana from any of their events this year. I was disappointed that a lot of the writers said that they are going to stop watching bike racing. Regardless of whether you agree with ASO, I don’t see how this will help anything. Cycling is in enough trouble right now and it needs all the fans it can get.
Astana has a tainted history, and while I don’t really agree with ASO, maybe this is the kind of message that the teams need to fully clean their acts up. I for one am still very excited about cycling and I am excited and looking forward to the Tour de France and the prospect of Slipstream racing in the Tour. I love watching the races and they inspire me to get out and ride even when it is 30 degrees and snowing.
I just watched the prologue of the Tour of California last night with my son, and to see him get excited about cycling is great. He is 4 and doesn’t know anything about doping, or care. He loves to watch — and isn’t that what it is all about?
Jason Atkinson
Queensbury, New York
Paul, you were right
Editor:
Given the current climate of our once-wonderful sport, we need to take a moment to acknowledge the courage and the correctness of Paul Kimmage, author of “A Rough Ride.” He had it right and was slaughtered by the entire sport and all of its tendrils. Collectively we cyclists owe him a gigantic "We're sorry!" You were right, Paul.
Scott Chambers
Baltimore, Maryland
The Mailbag is a regular department on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have read in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to webletters@insideinc.com. Please include your full name, hometown and state or nation. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Writers are encouraged to limit their submissions to one letter per month. The letters published here contain the opinions of the submitting authors and should not be viewed as reflecting the opinions, policies or positions of VeloNews.com, VeloNews magazine or our parent company, Inside Communications, Inc.
