The mail bag: No word from the Jean-Marie fan club

How completely bogus (yet entirely predictable) that Mario Cipolliniwas again denied an invitation to this year’s Tour de France.

Not invite the world champion? I’ll bet they wish they didn’t have toinvite Lance either. Not to worry Mario, because everyone knowsyou deserve to be there; the fact that you won’t be only makes the Tourdirectors look more petty and foolish than they already do.

So, they wanted to “give a little boost to the French cycling?” Maybethey should invite only French teams – that way they can be sure of a win.Time to re-run that cartoon from last year – “Le Tour de Farce.”

Susan Miller
Warwick, NY

Bad move Jean-Marie
Editor;
Boo to TDF director Jean-Marie Leblanc! The Lion King has earned hisplace on the roster. To all those who whine and moan about Mario just beinga sprinter and not a tour rider, can you ride as fast at age 36? I thoughtnot.

Pat Cunningham
New Hartford, CT.

What the ****?
Dear VeloNews;
I have two thoughts on the ****ing outrageous exclusion of Cipo’ fromthis year’s Tour.

1. LeBlanc’s wife must have a thing for Cipo’. That’s the only explanationthat makes any sense: insane jealousy that overcomes any rational decision-making.

2. Cipo’ should just jump in (with another team’s jersey and bike) duringone of the sprint stages. That would really piss them off.

Mac Ehrhardt
Minnesota
 

Maybe Mario needs to boost his resume’
Editors;
No Rainbow jersey at the Tour, just so more French teams can ride?

Like they have any more chance of winning the overall than does Mario.This will just make it sweeter when they have to play a foreign nationalanthem at the end of their little race. I sincerely hope Mario can getsome satisfaction from the UCI and get his rightful place in this year’stour. I mean they will jump through hoops to get Ullrich who is just comingoff suspension, and dis’ Cipo who has never tested positive.

So the message I get here is, if there is any chance a rider can beatArmstrong all will be forgiven and you will be welcomed.

Merely being the WORLD CHAMPION is not enough. A pox onLeblanc and his cronies.

Thanks for the space.

Brian Buchanan
Peru, IL.
 

The fans are the losers
Editor;
Is it just me or can you imagine Leblanc as a kid always taking theball and running home if things didn’t go his way? Once again he is cheatingcycling fans around the globe by not inviting Cipo’s team to the Tour.

Is he afraid that Cipo will get too much exposure, too much press? Thatmust be it; Leblanc is the only event director that everyone would recognizeby sight- that is because he is always getting in the press. The guy lovesthe attention and Cipo would take some of that attention away.

I just don’t get it. Cycling has been having fiscal issues in securingsponsors, so how does Leblanc lend the sport a helping hand? Deny one ofthe best at getting press attention the chance to race in the world’s biggestrace- am I missing something here?

The Tour is supposed to be about the best riders in the best race- ifthat isn’t the case doesn’t that start to diminish the lore of the Tour?

Sven Cole
Conway, NH

Maybe he’s just crazy
Editors;
Is LeBlanc totally nuts? A couple of those picks are such weak assteams- who cares? Mario should be riding in the tour this year- world champion!!

Dave Meyer

It’s Jean-Marie who should have time on his hands in July
Editor;
A tour de france (it does not deserve to be capitalized) withoutthe World Champion? Someone should have Leblanc removed from his position.

Edward K. Winkler

Union!
Editor;
The riders should take a stand against the unfair treatment of SuperMario.

Barnett Feigenbaum

Well, there are probably a few sprinters who might not want to joinin on that one, eh? – Editor.

Franco-philes
Editor;
Thank God for Jean Marie LeBlanc! He has done so much for World cyclingby ensuring that French teams have a dominating presence (in numbersonly) at the Tour de France. After all, it IS their race, not the WorldSeries of cycling that the effective management and presentation of yearspast have made it.

Not too long from now, July will be just another month on the calendar,carrying equal billing with May and September. At that point, the organizersof the Giro d’ Italia and Vuelta a España will have him to thankfor the increased prominence of their respective events, and we as cyclingfans will no longer have one great pinnacle in our sport, we will havethree lesser.

Let’s hear it for French Nationalism!

GySgt Michael S. Marine
Operations Section
HQ, 1st Marine Corps District
Garden City NY

Just add it to the tally
Editor;
Yet another way the French disappoint the world.

Steve Beals
New York

Yeah, you know, you’re right. In fact, this is so bogus, we shouldlead an American boycott against the Tour and … and… and… uh…oh, wait a minute… never mind. – Editor

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