Olympic outrages, Horner’s big mouth and the nature of Nature
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- Include your full name, hometown and state or nation.
- Send it to webletters@insideinc.com.
Writers are encouraged to limit their submissions to one letter per month. The letters published should not be viewed as reflecting the opinions, policies or positions of VeloNews.com, VeloNews magazine or our parent company.
Olympics Outrage: NBC
Editors,
All day Saturday I carefully avoided any Olympics spoilers about who had won the men’s cycling road race, preferring to watch the TV coverage and to experience the thrill of the finish as it unfolded.
After I watched hours of other sports, Jim Lampley at last came on to lead in to the final segment of the race which still had 40+ km to go. To my disgust, the video wall behind Lampley showed Sammy Sanchez winning the race, then it showed all the winners on the podium with their medals!
Thanks, NBC. Maybe you ought to ask the fine folks at VeloNews how to cover a bicycle race. Geesh.
Lew Worthem,
Elmhurst, Illinois
Olympics Outrage: Horner always gracious
Editor,
Chris Horner absolutely should have been picked for the Olympic team. He know how to prepare and would have been the best choice for the “team.”
We’ve seen him perform at the highest levels for years, and I am sure he would have been ready. He will make a great director one day. Plus, he is always gracious with the fans.
Anthony Kahn,
Arcata, California
Olympics Outrage: Horner tells it how it is
Editors,
I love that Horner feels no hesitation to speak his mind and (probably) piss some people off. Tell it how it is Chris!
Ashton Rogers
Washington, DC
Tired of dopers partial admissions
Editors,
I am really getting sick and tired of these dopers admitting they took the stuff, but NOT telling the officials where they got it and who assisted them in dosage plans.
Although it seems as if EPO can be obtained online, even these knuckleheads are not going to be self dosing without out some sort of professional assistance. Who are the docs helping these guys out? The medical practitioners who are enabling these dopers are worse than the riders. They have taken a pledge to practice medicine ethically. The UCI needs to work with national medical boards to prosecute and sanction medical practitioners who assist the riders.
John Rees
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
No confessions
Editors,
re: Sella’s confession
I guess this is the new hot phrase in the war against doping!!
Does this make it right? I just saw the news flash that Sella admits to doping. It sickens me to think that MAYBE because he and Ricco have admitted the use of a banned substance that they will get a lesser sentence. Two years is not enough. They along with all other DOPERS are continuing to ruin the sport.
John Sokolowski,
Long Branch, New Jersey
Que the applause
Editors,
To the VeloNews team, just wanted applaud you on your wonderful Web site and coverage of the 2008 Tour de France. Neil Rodgers, as always did a great job interviewing the best riders, taking us behind the scenes and providing a great insight to the riders and their thoughts.
I’m particularly happy with his ability to catch the Aussie riders. It allows us long suffering fans down under to see how our boys are doing. If you need a roving reporter for the 2009 Tour Down or World Champs 2010 in my home town, let me know. Keep up the great work, can’t wait for next year!
Daniel Wilson,
Geelong, Australia
Olympic apology
Editor:
Make no mistake, this is nothing more than politics … and the cyclists are nothing more than pawns in the game.
Andy Bohlmann,
Colorado Springs, Colorado
No apologies
Editor,
Why would the US cyclists or any competitor at the Olympics have to apologize for trying to protect themselves from polluted air by wearing a mask in Beijing?
The bodies belong to the athletes not the country or an event. Does anyone wonder why you never hear of any big name riders not racing in Mexico City anymore: altitude and pollution perhaps?
Brett Griggs,
Iowa City, Iowa
Testing questioned
Editors,
First there was the study showing that the testosterone test is flawed.
Now there’s one that shows that the EPO test is flawed, and a Nature article by an expert in biostatistics that sees “inherent flaws” in current testing practices.
Is there anyone out there who still believes that the current drug testing system is working? If so, for how long with gene doping here.
Bruce MacKinnon,
Millerton, New York
The nature of Nature
Editor:
It should be noted that Nature is one of the top scientific journals in the world. This is not just another “I believe in Floyd (Tyler, whomever)!” outburst. For an article of this sort to be published, it must pass very rigorous scientific analysis. In other words, the lab tests are not credible, whether they happen to be correct or not.
Chris Moore,
Houston, Texas
Enjoyed the Tour
Editors,
I have to say that I really enjoyed the years edition of the 2008 Tour de France. With no time bonuses for stage wins, the yellow jersey changing hands often, and with five cyclists within striking distance at the final time trial. Excellent!!
But the TDF really missed out on the “greatest show on earth,” just imagine, Team CSC vs Team Astana. Now that would have been the main event.
Andrew C. Runge,
Petaluma, California