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.

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What would Eddy do?
Editor:
On the subject of Lance Armstrong making a decision about riding the Tour this year, I think it is useful to ask the question: "What would Eddy do?"

The Tour today is the most important cycling race of the year, bar none. This was not necessarily the case when Merckx was dominant. What are the chances that Eddy would pass up the most important race of the year when he was at his prime? I think we all know the answer.

Hopefully Lance will see the light and commit to the Tour this year. He can ride some of the classics as well, but he should not pass on the Tour this year or even next year if he is still in his prime. Hopefully Lance will ask himself the pertinent question: "What would Eddy do?" as he considers committing to the Tour this year.

Bill Bundy
Manhattan Beach, California

Lance can ride the cobbles
Editor:
Did Jon Barker sleep through the first week of the '04 Tour de France? (See Friday’s Mailbag: “Conspiracy theorists, please take note.”) If memory serves, Postal put serious hurt on the competition over some Belgian cobbles.

Patrick Cunningham
New Hartford, Connecticut

Heck, Lance can ride anything
Editor:
Jon Barker is a complete idiot. Though I do not claim to be the unofficial and self appointed "Protector of Truth" for Mr. Armstrong's image and reputation, I found it completely absurd and reckless to attempt to distribute any "theory" about the Arenberg Forest cobbles being removed from this year’s Paris-Roubaix for the benefit of Mr. Armstrong.

Myself and about 5000 other attendees watched Mr. Armstrong compete in the NORBA National XC bike race held at Vermont's Snow Summit Resort in 1999. The promoter laid out a tricky, treacherous and dangerous half-mile section of the East Coast's best tight single-track, laden with rocks, roots, ruts, ditches, and related world-class nasty terrain that would have intimidated the average sport-class downhill racer in full body armor on a dry day. On this particular afternoon, immediately after the start of the men’s pro event, the rain came pouring down, making for the most dangerous terrain I have ever seen in a race. Mr. Armstrong not only cleared the half-mile "organ donor" section for five laps, he did it while racing in the top-five, pulling like a freight train for Mr. Travis Brown (the overall 1999 NORBA champion) and clearly ahead of most other “pro mountain bikers.”

Please accept this letter as a contribution to the Paris-Roubaix promoters who are acting with responsibility to protect all the riders. And please remind others that untruthful and slanderous comments are a waste of everyone's VeloNews subscription.

Mark Nichols
Mt. Diablo, California

The tinfoil-hat crowd needs something useful to do
Editor:
Come on! Last time I checked this great site, Armstrong wasn't planning on racing at Paris-Roubaix, now, was he? Some folks need to find something better to do with their time than develop theories about how Lance might be "beating the system" or how race organizers are sucking up to him. If I remember correctly, the boys at the Tour tried to Lance-proof the race. That really worked, now, didn't it? Jon Barker should head back out into the fields of Pennsylvania and look for crop circles. John Olsa
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Regarding the cancellation of the Tour of Texas
Editor:
Very classy move. Enough said.

Chris Gregoire
Lowell, Massachusetts

Any Colorado clubs need another racer?
Editor:
I know this may not be the way to do it, but I am at my last idea. I am new to Colorado Springs and am interested in joining a club for road racing. I have emailed many teams out here, with none of them getting back to me.

So here I am, asking anyone who reads this if they can offer me a spot on their team for this upcoming season. I am a Cat. 4 racer and want to upgrade (I have aspirations). Sorry to VeloNews for doing this to you, but I thought of this as an idea to get some feedback from riders in my area. Thanks. Shaun K. Riebl
Colorado Springs, Colorado

How about it, Colorado Springs? Anybody a man short? And how about the rest of you? If your club or racing team is looking for new members, e-mail us a brief description of your outfit – the type of racing you do, what you expect from/provide to club members, and a contact person – and we’ll post your information on VeloNews.com.– Editor

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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.