The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you havea comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen incycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write toWebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name andhome town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Writersare encouraged to limit their submissions to one letter per month.The letters published here contain the opinions of the submittingauthors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, policies or positionsof VeloNews.com, VeloNews magazine or our parent company, InsideCommunications, Inc.

---

Good news for a change
Editors,
The news about one pro rider that will help junior riders, just gaveme what I craved (see "Danielsonto start junior series in Colorado").Tom Danielson just became my cycling hero. With Lance gone, others taintedor just blamed for cycling’s current ailments, Tom seems to be lookingin the right direction. He looks toward the future of the sport. He isalso paying homage to the sport that has given him so much. No other riderthat I know of has gone out of his way to give back to cycling the waythat Tom seems to be doing. When we look back, Lance my have cured cancer,but the cycling hero that Tom is capable of may give us the sport herowe so desperately crave nowadays.For every hill top finish he dominates, and for each stage he wins,cycling will become more and more grateful, because he will give back.The more famous he becomes, the more juniors will have a chance to catchup to his legacy.
John Nelson
Alexandria, VirginiaCan't we all just get along?
Dear editors,
Could you good folks at VeloNews kindly explain why UCI andthe grand tours can't live together in harmony? (See "Grandtours and UCI set to battle at European Commission.")The races don't appear to conflict with each other. Is this whole thingreally about cycling or is it a turf/ego/control/testosterone (legal ornot!) driven battle? Or is it simply money? The only reason I can musteris that UCI is afraid the top riders will all default to the Tours, butthe top tour riders don't seem to be the top classics riders.What gives?
Tom Smith
Ithaca, New YorkWhat gives? Well, the UCI is charging that the tour organizers areacting like a monopoly. To prove that, the UCI points to the fact thatthe tours are refusing to join the ProTour, which is kinda, sorta, almostlike a... m-o-n-o-p-o-l-y? See? We figured that one out. Now ask us aboutIraq. - EditorAdding to your reading list
Dear Velo,
If anyone interested in learning about the history of theregion John Wilcockson is now traveling through should check out SembeneOusmane's novel "God's Bits ofWood," which is one of the definitive texts written about Mali andSenegal back in the '40s, when they were known as French West Africa. Theauthor is one of the preeminent west African novelists and film directors.
Cheers,
Dexter Mahaffey
Portland, MaineThank you, Dexter. - EditorRiding in Mali
Dear Editor,
Thank you for the coverage of the Saunier-Duval's foray in Africa.I appreciate the team's efforts for two reasons: first, the problem theyhave chosen to confront, environmental degradation, is particularly acutein the Sahel region of West Africa bordering the Sahara; second, they areperforming a service in publicizing and hopefully supporting the sportof cycling in Mali, where riding a bicycle is seen as a something of alow-class activity, as the well-off, of course, tool about in SUVs, preferablypaid for and maintained by a foreign aid organization.The articles reminded me of the many great times I've had cycling inMali: leading self-supporting tours in the same area where Saunier-Duvalare racing, riding from village to village when I was in the Peace Corpson the dirt roads and bush paths that wind through the brush, and, bestof all, racing to the only cycling victory of my life. On September22 - the Malian day of independence - in 1994, I saddled up my 18-speedNishiki mountain bike for a race in a neighboring village to take on thestrapping farm boys who showed up on their steel-framed Chinese and Frenchone-speeds for a shot at the $6 prize.Knowing I had extra gears in my favor, I thought I was being smart inholding off on my surge until I was a kilometer from the line - but headingup the hill on the final stretch to the finish in the village center mygears failed me, and the farm boys blew past, churning on their pedals(or just their spindles!). When I finally got the front gearin the big ring, it took every ounce of effort for me to put my bike acrossthe line in front of the guys on their 30 pound steeds!So, my thanks again to John Wilcockson for the stories. As muchas the cycling community worries about doping, it's good reality checkto be reminded that in some parts of the world, the biggest concern isnot who is on what drugs, but how to get decent equipment. I don'thave any answers, but those involved in this project might try to thinkabout how to fit that agenda into their project as well - Mali could usesome help in making a good showing in the Tour du Faso, after all, anda boost from Saunier-Duval and the readers of VeloNews would help!All that equipment that you've swapped out for the latest high-zoot gearwould be welcomed by Malian cyclists!
Sincerely,
Craig Tower
Peace Corps Mali, 1994-1996

They just hate us
VeloNews,
I get it now, the French can't beat the Americans on the road so theytry in the lab by fudging the dope testing. When that doesn't work theystretch out the appeals process until a rider misses the entire next season(USADA postpones Landis trial until summer) and just to be sure they summonsyou to appear before a French doping panel to make sure that you can'trace on French soil even if your acquitted of doping.Whether Landis is guilty or not, he and the sport deserve quick andfair justice. Maybe it's time for the riders to form a union to protecttheir interests. How would the UCI and the Tour feel if NO riders showedup? Oh wait maybe they might like that. Than there might be a chance fora French winner!As Zabel said, it's time to race not play games.
Dan Weitzel
Cleveland, OhioJust to be clear, though, we actually don't recall Zabelattributing any of this to a vast Gallic conspiracy. - EditorMoooooo
Dear Velo,
Early last year I read an article in which Floyd and Allen Lim arrangeda ride during which they espoused the benefits of riding with a watt meter.The ride culminated at an In-And-Out Burger, which stuck in my mind asit reminded me of LeMond (and because I'm a clyde').Now, I'm no nutritionist, and I've only been to an In-And-Out Burgeronce (and loved it), but I'd think that a fast food burger wouldcontain all kinds of growth hormones, steroids, stimulants and other wackystuff cattle are injected with these. Any chance one could ingest thisstuff and have it show up as synthetic testosterone at a highly inopportunemoment? Especially after a couple Amstels?Anybody else getting hungry?
Thanks,
Scott A. GordonA request
Dear VeloNews,
A bit over a year ago my wife was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.Last year I took part in a bicycle race called Race Across AMerica (RAAM).Actually it was a subset of RAAM, a 24 hour corporate challenge. We rodenon-stop from Oceanside, California, to Flagstaff, Arizona, and used thatevent as a catalyst to raise money for the San Diego Chapter of the Leukemiaand Lymphoma Society, an organization my wife relied on heavily as shewent through her chemo.Please visit www.360cycling.comwhich is the site I am using to let people know about our event. I realizeit's asking a lot but if you could put a little blurb out on VeloNews.comit could drive a lot of support our way.Thanks for your time!
Rick Schulze
Poway, CaliforniaIt's not asking a lot, Rick, and we're happy to help. - Editor.

---

The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com.If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything youhave seen in cycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, writeto WebLetters@InsideInc.com.Please include your full name and home town. Letters maybe edited for length and clarity. Writers are encouraged to limit theirsubmissions to one letter per month.The letters published here contain the opinions ofthe submitting authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, policiesor positions of VeloNews.com, VeloNews magazine or our parent company,Inside Communications, Inc.
 
 

Advertisement