The Mailbag is a regular department on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have read in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to webletters@insideinc.com. Please include your full name, hometown and state or nation. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Writers are encouraged to limit their submissions to one letter per month. The letters published here contain the opinions of the submitting authors and should not be viewed as reflecting the opinions, policies or positions of VeloNews.com, VeloNews magazine or our parent company, Inside Communications, Inc.

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They just don’t get it
Editor:
The Discovery Channel's notification that they will cease to be as of the end of the 2007 season is not surprising. My wife and I have spoken often that current cyclists just do not get it — that they are destroying their sport by doping, and that sponsors are not going to come into a dirty sport.

I guess this means that the fear of being tied to or tainted by a doping scandal is even larger than Lance Armstrong. Even his appeal could not bring a sponsor to the team. It is sad that a great team will disband because of the stupidity of cyclists like Vino’, Tricky Rickie, Rasmussen, Basso, etc., who just don't seem to get it. They have killed a great team and are going to kill the sport.

Danny Autrey
Jacksonville, Alabama

Rat out the cheats
Editor:
I believe that we are at a crossroads in the sport of cycling in light of the doping problems that keep popping up. It’s time for the young riders who don’t yet have any “golden handcuffs” on them through corporate sponsorship to start pointing fingers and ratting out the cheats.

I gave up on the Tour this year because I’m so tired of hearing of the doping problems that I don’t really believe anyone anymore. If the riders themselves don’t start standing up, the problem will never go away.

There is no justification for cheating. The potential threat to the team, the potential harm to the sponsors, the financial impacts — none of this matters! The sport will die a natural death unless the riders start pointing the finger at the cheaters and work from the inside out to clean up the doping problem.

What’s sad to me is that we as cycling enthusiasts can’t even be sure who the clean riders are (if they exist at all) because there seem to be so many people involved in cheating. It casts a shadow on all riders.

It’s time to stand up for what is right and shine the light of truth! Rat them out!

Jim Worlton
Divide, Colorado

Next generation isn’t interested in racing
Editor:
I can’t say that I’ve noticed sponsorship problems at the local level (yet anyway), but what I have noticed is a lack of interest in racing by the next generation of riders.

Here in Virginia, the typical 40-plus crit has a field size of 50-60 riders while the juniors 15-18 race may have five to 10. In another decade, there may not be much need for sponsors.

Mike Dougherty
Midlothian, Virginia

Drug busts don’t diminish this fan’s love of the sport
Editor:
I started watching the Tour de France three years ago, and I've been hooked ever since. I was first drawn in by the beautiful scenery the riders pass on each and every stage, but as I got to know the teams, riders, and rules, cycling truly started to become a part of me. Now every July, my friends and family can look forward to me talking non-stop about the events of that day's stage. I've even started following the other major races and pulling others into it - watching races with people that enjoy it as much as I do is great.

I've always been athletic, but ever since graduating college and starting my career, I haven't had any one consistent sport in which to participate - until I started watching the Tour.

Two years ago, I bought a hybrid bike, just to see if cycling would be something I could stick with. Last Friday I bought a brand-new road bike - obviously it stuck. Now I'm going to start training for my first sprint triathlon and my first charity century ride.

Cycling has given me goals again - which I think are the key to lasting fitness and enjoyment of any sport. Every time I'm out riding and my energy starts fading, I tell myself - "If this pro or that pro can do it, why can't I?”

The pros that have been caught doping don't diminish this for me. There are still hundreds of pros out there that I can look to when I need encouragement. Anyone who says cycling is dead (or dying) should spend one morning on the Silver Comet Trail outside of Atlanta. This past Sunday, the trail was packed with cyclists of every ilk: young, old, fast, slow, experienced, beginners, leisure riders, and competitive riders. There were no sponsors or cheering fans, no media or team buses, just regular people who woke up early to get their gear ready and try to beat the Atlanta summer heat. And on every face I saw elation, because this is truly a sport where the more you give, the more you get.

I will never stop watching the Tour, or any other cycling event, as long as pro cycling continues to be vigilant about catching those who are cheating - as they are doing now. Nothing can prevent people from cheating, but you can prevent them from competing.

My dream now is to finally get to see the Tour in person, to cheer on my favorite riders, and to continue to become a better rider myself.

Sarah C. Mills
Atlanta, Georgia

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The Mailbag is a regular department on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have read in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to webletters@insideinc.com. Please include your full name, hometown and state or nation. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Writers are encouraged to limit their submissions to one letter per month. The letters published here contain the opinions of the submitting authors and should not be viewed as reflecting the opinions, policies or positions of VeloNews.com, VeloNews magazine or our parent company, Inside Communications, Inc.

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