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The Mail Bag 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.Why the 50 percent cutoff?Editor:I fail to understand why the UCI and other governing bodies chose an arbitrary hematocrit of 50 percent as the cutoff for male cyclists.All the research I have done seems to indicate a "normal" hematocrit range of around 45-62 percent. This "normal" range

108th CONGRESS2d Session  S. 2195 To amend the Controlled Substances Act to clarify the definition ofanabolic steroids and to provide for research and education activitiesrelating to steroids and steroid precursors. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESMarch 11, 2004Mr. BIDEN (for himself, Mr. HATCH, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. STEVENS,Mr. MCCAIN, Mr. NELSON of Florida, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. ALLEN, and Ms. MURKOWSKI)introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to theCommittee on the Judiciary  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A

The rumor mill says Mayo may be leaving Euskaltel

Ridley bikes is not only a newcomer to the U.S. but to the professional peloton as well. Ridley’s parent company was founded in 1990 by the precocious Jochim Aerts, who was all of 18 at the time; that first business was set up to build custom frames for other, more established companies. Aerts did not launch his own brand, Ridley, until 1997 (he took the name from an English actor he liked — the name, not the actor). Since then, however, Ridley has become a frequently seen name in the professional peloton, with a buzz about its performance that eventually caught the ear of Sinclair Imports,

Armstrong will do lots of mike time in his new gig

Homeward bound: Johnson plans on a domestic schedule for 2005

Lance Donnell of Sinclair Imports, with the Ridley Superdamocles

The Ridley Damocles is a carbon fiber monocoque design with dramatically shaped tubes

The X-Night is Ridley's top cyclo-cross bike, a full carbon frame complete with top-pull cable routing to keep all systems go in the muck

The Crosswind is a much more economical 'crosser, welded from lightweight taperwall aluminum tubing

The Excalibur carbon monocoque frame will sell for about $2000

The Mail Bag 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.Fond memories of DedeEditor:I just caught the last report from Dede Demet-Barry. I'm so glad you did all the racing and writing for all those years. Not to mention the training, and all the schooling. I really enjoyed the times we talked or even rode together back when you lived in

What began as an off-season surf odyssey nearly ended in tragedy when thugs attacked Chris Wherry and Walker Ferguson on a remote beach in Mexico during the first week of October. The duo left Boulder, Colorado, September 20 in Ferguson’s customized Toyota van, heading towards warm weather and Pacific-side swells on mainland Mexico. Nearly two weeks into the trip, however, things went awry. “We left Boulder and drove south,” Wherry said. “It had just snowed and all the high peaks had snow on them. The leaves were changing and it was an insane backdrop.” The pair spent an evening visiting

Pontoni shows the way to the finish line

Valverde will be wearing Illes Balears colors in 2005

Nys and Vanthourenhout dice it in Superprestige No. 2

Despite an injured shoulder, Nys hopped the barricades

Vannoppen gave it his best, but sprinting against Vanthourenhout is no day at the beach

The Outdoor Life Network (OLN) is planning a weekly series featuring the best in the sport of road cycling. Completing the survey will assist the network in developing the most exciting and compelling show possible. We want to hear from you! Please click on the link below to take part in the survey and enter your name in a drawing for a Victorinox watch to be drawn at the close of the survey. TAKE THE OLN SURVEY ---------Official Rules No Purchase Necessary Eligibility: Drawing is offered only in the United States to legal United States residents at least 21 years old. Employees of

Beke in 2003

Tech Report: What we didn't see in 'Vegas

2004 Texas State road, Madison and Pursuit champion, Steen Rose on one of Don Walker’s handcrafted track beauties

Micaela, Paolo and Alessandro Guerciotti, with Bill and Carol McGann of Torelli Imports.

The Guerciotti EM2 is the same bike used by the Guerciotti/Selle Italia team. It's built with Dedacciai EM2 tubing and comes with a Sintema carbon fork.

The Guerciotti Cartesio carbon monocoque.

The Guerciotti Hero, built with Dedacciai Energy aluminum tubing, is one of the company's most affordable framesets, with a suggested retail of about $1100, complete with carbon fork.

Vasseur in 2003

RLX is done and JHK is looking for another team.

Wiens is done racing and probably managing, too.

Doping charges against a top French cyclist involved in the Cofidis inquiry have been dropped, legal sources said Friday. Cedric Vasseur, once a member of the U.S. Postal team, was one of eight Cofidis riders to be investigated by magistrates in the doping affair which rocked the team in January. The 33-year-old, a former wearer of the Tour de France yellow jersey, has been suspended since April when it was revealed that traces of cocaine had been found in a hair sample. A counter-analysis later proved negative and Vasseur also claimed some of the evidence in his witness statement had

The Mail Bag 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.Puma had a round pedal before SampsonEditor:So Eric Sampson is taking credit for inventing the round pedal (See "Tech Report: What we didn't see in 'Vegas")? Hmmm. Facts say otherwise. Puma had a round pedal years before the Sampson Stratics - which wasn't really 'round' anyway. Don't

This week, we're following up on a question from J.R. from New Hampshire,who asked about team contracts:"How is it that racers can negotiate deals for the following seasonwhen they are under contract with a team for the current season. When arider is thinking about jumping to another team it can't make for the bestteam chemistry. In professional leagues there rules against this, aren'tthere?"Lastweek, we looked at general American law. Unfortunately, general lawdoesn't mean much when you face league restrictions, such as this examplefrom the National Hockey League:TamperingAny action by an

Cipollini breaking Alfredo Binda's Giro record in 2003

The Russian Olympic Committee has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport seeking to strip American Tyler Hamilton of his Olympic time-trial gold medal and give it to Viatcheslav Ekimov because of a doping controversy. A committee statement issued Wednesday said its appeal was filed with the Lausanne, Switzerland-based court last Thursday. "The ROC insists on the disqualification of Hamilton," the statement said. Hamilton edged Ekimov in the Athens Olympics in August. (see"Hamilton takes Olympic TT") An initial doping test led to suspicions Hamilton had used a blood

The Mail Bag 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.Literary foolsVelo,Hey, nice piece of writing, Hunter S. would be proud (see "Friday'sfoaming rant: Trick or treat").  Maybe it’s the water herein Colorado.Just one question, though: How the hell do you punks know about thereal Thomas Wolfe?Thanks,Phil StruveColoradoPhil, we have to

Congress Honors Mountain BikingIn an effort to get kids more active and help fight childhood obesity,the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a resolution officially declaring"National Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day." The legislation is in memoryof Jack Doub, a teenage mountain biker from North Carolina.Promoted by the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA),National Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day encourages adults and cycling clubsto introduce kids to the sport of mountain biking. The day is scheduledfor the first Saturday of October each year.The House adopted House

Will Pereiro be the last pro winner of the Classique des Alpes?

Tech Report with Lennard Zinn: More from 'Vegas

Tech Report with Lennard Zinn: More from 'Vegas

Tech Report with Lennard Zinn: More from 'Vegas

Tech Report with Lennard Zinn: More from 'Vegas

Tech Report with Lennard Zinn: More from 'Vegas

Tech Report with Lennard Zinn: More from 'Vegas

Show me the money

Tech Report with Lennard Zinn: More from 'Vegas

Cipollini may be looking for a new ride

Tech Report with Lennard Zinn: More from 'Vegas

Tech Report with Lennard Zinn: More from 'Vegas

Tech Report with Lennard Zinn: More from 'Vegas

Tech Report with Lennard Zinn: More from 'Vegas

Tech Report with Lennard Zinn: More from 'Vegas

Tech Report with Lennard Zinn: More from 'Vegas

Tech Report with Lennard Zinn: More from 'Vegas

Tech Report with Lennard Zinn: More from 'Vegas

The Mail Bag 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. Rody Kickham was a decent fellow… is O’Grady?Dear editor,Well, you asked! To me, reading Patrick O'Grady's rant this week (see"Friday'sfoaming rant: Trick or treat") reminds me of inadvertently sittingnext to a schizophrenic on public transit.You know what I mean. The guy is obviously

Photo files - do not delete

Nijs

Big Daddy Page

McConneloug in her first real 'cross ride of the season

McCormack has returned running to his training regimen

Cunego takes the World Cup finale

Tiralongo, Flecha and Quinziato in an early break

Basso, Evans and Boogerd on the Madonna del Ghisallo

Bettini wasn't letting Rebellin go anywhere without him

Nozal has a dig

There are worse places to wrap up a World Cup than around Lake Como

The champ enjoys a moment on the podium

Vanthourenhout puts the hurt on the field on Saturday

The Mail Bag 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.Is a DNA test too ‘CSI’ for cycling?Editor:If the claim is that Tyler doped with someone else's blood, seems like the lab could extract the DNA of the other person from the blood samples and prove it conclusively. Then again, maybe I have seen too many episodes of “CSI” on TV. Larry

All things on earth point home in old October: sailors to sea, travelers to walls and fences, hunters to field and hollow and the long voice of the hounds, the lover to the love he has forsaken.–Thomas Wolfe, Of Time and the River It’s finally October, and like you I’m hoping for a few treats come Halloween, because we’ve already gotten more than enough tricks this racing season. Actually, the entire year has had a costume-party air to it, with dope fiends dressed up as pro bicycle racers, George W. Bush masquerading as the president of the United States and Iraq all tricked out like

Our editor at large dressed up as a journalist at Interbike ... a bit early for Halloween, it's true, but he drew cheers anyway

Cedric Gracia’s pink team issue Prophet

JHK’s Olympic Tomac Buckshot, complete with fresh Athens dirt

Geoff Kabush’s custom Turner Nitrous

Jullien Absalon's gold medal rig

Who said the carbon trend is getting out of hand? You’re telling me you don’t need a carbon (or white carbon) razor?!?!?!

The past two months haven’t been easy for Phil Zajicek. On August 18, threeweeks after the easygoing 25-year-old Tucson, Arizona, resident took thebiggest stage race win in the 12-year history of the Navigators Insurancecycling team when he won the overall at the UCI 2.3 Tour of Qinghai Lake,Zajicek received word that he had failed a drug test after stage 6, onJuly 22, while wearing the leader’s jersey. No, Zajicek didn’t test positive for the red-blood cell boosting Erythropoietin(EPO). It wasn’t Human Growth Hormone (HGH), anabolic steroids or a diureticmasking agent, either. Zajicek

In this week’s column we explore Part 1 of a two-part answer to a reader’s question about professional sports contracts. While the analysis is a bit in-depth, should make for good and informative reading now that a lot of you are on break.Dear Bob,How is it that racers can negotiate deals for the following seasonwhen they are under contract with a team for the current season. When arider is thinking about jumping to another team it can't make for the bestteam chemistry.In professional leagues there rules against this, aren't there?J.R.New HampshireDear J.R,Yes, there are rules against it in