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The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen in cycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to WebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name and home town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.Say again, Pedro?Editor,So let me get this straight: PedroDelgado thinks the problem with doping in cycling is that dopers aregetting caught?Steve ScottSan Diego, CaliforniaIt’s all about the “medicine”Editors,I had to laugh at Pedro’s remarks on our current doping crises. Thisis the man

Hamilton is back, with a one-year deal with the continental Tinkoff squad.

Ullrich may face Swiss charges related to Puerto.

Delgado worked for team leader Miguel Indurain at the 1992 Tour

The Ultimate Souvenir - Delgado gets his yellow jersey signed by fellow champions at the 2004 Tour presentation.

Delgado at the 2004 Tour presentation, with former winners Bjarne Riis and Jan Ullrich

Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn - A new player?

A custom Zinn with a very low Q-factor

Delgado, on his way to winning the 1988 Tour de France

Delgado, the TV commentator, holding a model of his winning Tour de France bike from 1988.

Tour de Georgia expands to seven days

Lamour is now Dick Pound's most likely successor

Not a pretty picture: It took Bishop some time to realize how bad the injury was.

A mix of adrenaline and endorphins got Bishop to the finish line

The pain got worse after the finish.

The damage was quite serious

Our latest reader-submitted Photo Gallery is now up for your viewing pleasure. Of course, a new gallery also means the naming of the winner of ourmost recent contest. Take the time to wander through that gallery and see if you agree or disagree with our choice of winner. There was something compelling about Reid Neureiter’s “6-year old puddle riding.” Reid’s beautifully timed and composed shot encompasses one of the simple joys of owning your first bike. Nice work, Reid! Drop us a note at Rosters@InsideInc.com to work out the details and we’ll send you a copy of Graham Watson's

French sports minister Jean-Francois Lamour has been elected vice-president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The two-time Olympic fencing champion was unopposed and elected by a show of hands at the meeting of the WADA executive committee in Montreal on Monday. Lamour, 50, who was endorsed by the Council of Europe for the post, thanked members for the confidence shown in him and promised "to work to strengthen WADA". Current WADA president Dick Pound's term expires in November of 2007 with Lamour now in line to succeed the Canadian. Lamour, a gold medalist at the 1984 Olympics

6-year old puddle riding

Johnson hoping to be first to the showers (and the laundry)

Hey, we're from Boulder, but not even we know what this is about

Johnson goes surfing, Stumptown style

The women's field contemplates a bout of mud-wrestling

Simms shows Compton her heels

Nash hits the run-up

Bessette legs it through the goo

The men hit the 'Knapp Time' run-up

Another view

Johnson pushing it

Compton and Bessette slugging it out

Simms hits the run-up

Summerhill leads the juniors

A retired medical doctor and friend of Floyd Landis is expanding his defense of the cyclist, arguing that a detailed analysis of documents shows the Tour de France champion did not have a positive drug test after all. Dr. Arnie Baker of San Diego, California, made the case in a slideshow presentation Friday evening at the Tucson Convention Center, headquarters of El Tour de Tucson, scheduled for Saturday. Landis did not attend, though he was in Tucson to be the official starter for the race. Afterward, he spoke with VeloNews editor Kip Mikler. Landis, who denies doping, is contesting

Discovery Channel team manager Johan Bruyneel on Saturday responded to the critics over his decision to sign Italian star Ivan Basso. Bruyneel's decision to sign the Giro d’Italia champion caused a ripple this week in the world of cycling, which is fighting for its credibility after a season marred by doping suspicion. The Belgian said he is more than happy to have signed Basso, who recently emerged unscathed despite having been one of many riders implicated in a Spanish doping investigation that erupted in May. "I don't see how anyone can stop me from hiring the best rider in the

On Friday Dr. Arnie Baker, a retired doctor, coach and longtime friend of former Phonak team leader Floyd Landis, presented to an audience in Tucson, Arizona, a slideshow arguing against the doping charges that could strip Landis of his 2006 Tour de France win. Friday’s presentation at the Tucson Convention Center, the starting point of Saturday’s El Tour de Tucson event, was an updated version of a previous slideshow that Baker unveiled in California last month. While Landis didn’t attend Friday’s presentation, he appeared in Tucson the next morning as the official starter of the Tour de

Meares pipped her own world record in the final

Baker speaks at the Tucson Convention Center

The women's podium

The course in Tacoma features a brutally steep 80-meter run-up.

Compton won her first national title in Portland mud two years ago.

Cross crusade: Boulder crossers lobbying for access.

Transitions 2 'Cross the Pond deserves an Academy Award!

Cyclocross Ale: Why didn't I think of this?

Cross crusade: Boulder crossers lobbying for access.

Cyclocross Ale: Why didn't I think of this?

Cross crusade: Boulder crossers lobbying for access.

Transitions 2 'Cross the Pond deserves an Academy Award!

Cyclocross Ale: Why didn't I think of this?

Discovery Channel and Ivan Basso confirmed Friday that under the termsof their contract, the Italian rider has agreed to provide a DNA sampleif this is requested in a national judicial or disciplinary investigation.“There has never been a DNA issue,” Johan Bruyneel said. “Ivan agreedthrough his lawyer even before we signed to give a sample. He just wantedto make sure that the guarantees provided by the law would be respected.”Bruyneel said parts of the Code of Conduct hastily adopted by the teamsshould be reviewed.“We believe that even an athlete is innocent until proven guilty. AFrench

Did you ever experience one of those weekends in college when it seemedas though the party never stopped and you try to relive it again the followingweekend, but it just doesn’t seem to meet your heightened expectations? Well, I think most Colorado ‘cross racers are experiencing withdrawalsince the Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross swept through town,sucked all our energy and excitement, then took it to the Pacific Northwestfor the next round of races. The reason I mention this is because the racerand spectator turn out for last weekend’s local races was dismal. It couldhave been

Did you ever experience one of those weekends in college when it seemedas though the party never stopped and you try to relive it again the followingweekend, but it just doesn’t seem to meet your heightened expectations? Well, I think most Colorado ‘cross racers are experiencing withdrawalsince the Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross swept through town,sucked all our energy and excitement, then took it to the Pacific Northwestfor the next round of races. The reason I mention this is because the racerand spectator turn out for last weekend’s local races was dismal. It couldhave been

Six months into a Spanish investigation of doping in cycling, national federations and world bodies must defend a case that hasn't netted a single conviction. None of the 56 riders implicated in Operación Puerto has been charged and no convictions appear likely any time soon. The acting judge, Carmelo Jimenez, ruled that evidence collected against the cyclists could only be used in legal cases and not as sporting punishments. "At the moment, this whole operation is closed, on the part of the federation at least," Spanish cycling federation president Fulgencio Sanchez said Friday. "It

Oregonians Carl Decker and Barry Wicks know how to race in the mud.

Not since “Breaking Away” (1979) has there been a true bike-racing film to hit the big screen — unless we include the animated “Les Triplettes de Belleville” (2003). The long wait maybe worthwhile because Variety magazine announced Wednesday that MGM has bought worldwide distribution rights to the Graeme Obree biopic “The Flying Scotsman.” It will debut at U.S. theatres on December 29. The new movie is based on the autobiography of Obree, the eccentric Scottish amateur cyclist who astounded the cycling world in 1993 by breaking Francesco Moser’s world hour record. Obree cooperated fully in

The board of trustees of Marian College, a small Catholic liberal arts school in Indianapolis, Indiana, recently approved plans to construct a state-of-the-art cycling training center for the school’s collegiate cycling team. The school will house the facility in a renovated 1500-square-foot maintenance building on campus. “The caliber of the athlete and the competitiveness of the Marian College cycling team are incredible,” said Dean Peterson, the first-year head coach of the Marian Knights. “We are fortunate to have one of the world’s top competition tracks in the Major Taylor Velodrome

Australian athlete Paul Crake has been left paralyzed after an accident during a cycling race in New Zealand, and may never regain the use of his legs, according to reports released early Friday. Crake, whose multiple credits include an Australian road cycling medal, mountain running champion and Empire State Building stair-climbing champion, was seriously injured when he was blown off his bike during the Tour of Southland race last Saturday. He has since undergone surgery at a specialist spinal unit but has been unable to move his legs and doctors say the paralysis may be

Miller as Obree

Bayley and Bos faced off at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

The Queens will see you now

The crowd wanders the expo area

Gettting ready to race . . . verrry, verrry slowwwwwlyyyy

The bike-building race, featuring Cinellis at the BTI tent

No Pedal Queens gathering would be complete without some sort of pink accessory. This one is a Trek

Rob Foshag (Cane Creek) leads the men’s field through the barriers

We'll do our own TourEditor,Hooray for Discovery for signing Basso (see "Bassofeels 'reborn' after signing with Discovery"). Tell all the otherEuropean teams they can sit on a pin. As for voluntary DNA testing, I saynever! Can you imagine all the different ways that can be screwedup?It's time for North America to develop it's own series of world classcycling events. I'm sure cyclists would rather race in a nation of lawsrather than one of hearsay and rumor.Keith WhelpleyLas Cruces, New MexicoJust say no... to DNA profilingEditor,While Basso is under suspicion for

As if life weren’t already tough enough for Interbike. First Eurobike announces plans to launch a new U.S. trade show in Portland, Oregon — and then the Pedal Queens beat the Germans to it with their own bike expo and demo in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Pedal Queens, a lively group of women inclined toward pink feather boas, focus on "creating a supportive, non-threatening environment for women to learn about and ride both road and mountain bikes," according to treasurer Jennifer Steketee. They took this mission to a whole new level with their inaugural Bike-a-GoGo on November 11 at Santa Fe

World Anti-Doping Agency president Dick Pound defended the French lab whose credibility is under scrutiny for its handling of Floyd Landis' samples during the Tour de France. Pound said Wednesday the case against the American cyclist should not be derailed by the theft of data from the lab by computer hackers and by a mistake in the labeling of his backup urine specimen. “For me, the real problem is the activities of several hackers who entered into the system without permission, possibly against the law,” Pound said in a conference call. “We have to wait for the result of the

Châtenay-Malabry lab director Jacques de Ceaurriz.

Editors of VeloNews Shed Light on the 2006 Tour de France with New Book Boulder, CO USA November 9, 2006 - VeloPress is pleased to announce the release of The 2006 Tour de France: Triumph and Turmoil for Floyd Landis. John Wilcockson and the editors of VeloNews magazine clearly explain the 2006 Tour from the sting operations that fractured the peloton just hours before the prologue, to Landis's stunning crack on stage 16 and miraculous recovery, to the controversial aftermath of the doping scandals. Fans of cycling's greatest race can finally arrive at an informed opinion of the 2006

Press Release - VeloNews Sheds Light on the 2006 Tour de France with New Book

Riis wants to set a new standard for the rest of the peloton

Basso has a new ride

Landis - seen here at a press conference in August - has embarked on a campaign to clear his name.

Landis appeared on France 2 television this weekend

Our latest reader-submitted Photo Gallery is now up for your viewing pleasure. Of course, a new gallery also means the naming of the winner of ourmost recent contest. Take the time to wander through that gallery and see if you agree or disagree with our choice of winner. We found Steve Schmunk’s “Riding to Convict Lake near Mammoth Lakes” to nicely underscore the commitment many of us feel to the sport… even on a wet and cold morning. Nice work, Steve. Drop us a note at Rosters@InsideInc.com to work out the details and we’ll send you a copy of Graham Watson's "Landscapes of Cycling."

The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen in cycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to WebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name and home town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.Discovery must insist that Basso provide DNAEditor:While I understand the objections and have my own reservations regarding mass collection of DNA samples, I do believe that there are situations wherein the individual's right to privacy are forfeited and requiring a DNA sample of an

Riding to Convict Lake near Mammoth Lakes

The break in the women's race

The men's podium

King crosses the line