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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It’s almost time to put up or shut up
Editor:
The time between the finish of the Tour de Suisse and the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré seems to bring out all the talk. Every race director thinks his guy will be on the podium in Paris. Well, only three gentlemen get that honor, and we won't know who until the race is over.

I am tired of the hype. It seemed like it started even sooner this year since Lance didn't have the spring he usually has. It's time to put up or shut up. Lance, Levi, Floyd, Mayo, Ivan - they all seem ready to ride, and I am sure that it will be well worth the cost when I upgrade my satellite TV to include OLN and spend three weeks running to my computer for live updates on VeloNews.com.

Thank goodness it's only another week before Le Tour.

Tim Swift
Milton, Pennsylvania

Zabel deserved better
Editor:
I just had a comment about leaving Erik Zabel off the 2005 Tour roster. Zabel gave T-Mobile six green jerseys while Jan Ullrich gave them only one yellow jersey. Sure, Ullrich probably generated more press with pre-Tour hype and all the runner-up finishes, but you have to wonder who the true hero is for that team. Jan showed up fat every year, basically only went for wins in the Tour, and even got kicked off the team for drug use. By all accounts, Zabel is the ultimate professional who delivered on his promises and raced to win all season.

Don’t get me wrong. I would also have left him off the roster, maybe even last year. However, I would have told him a little earlier. Poor guy.

David Headrick
Knoxville, Tennessee

What’s in a name?
Editor:
You know, "Jan's Journal" doesn't have the real alliteration of your other diaries - "Dede's Diary," Vande Velde's View," etc. Unless you folks around there are pronouncing it “Yan's Yernal," as I've been doing today. It sort of has a ring to it.

Perhaps you need to rename the diary, though. All I've come up with is “Jan's Yarns,” which I don't particularly like. But I don't get paid to do this stuff for you!

Paul Frank
Berkeley, California

How about “Yakking with Jan?” Or, “Der Kaiser’s Kaffeeklatch?” Shoot, we get paid to do this and we’re not having any luck, either. And was that “ring to it” reference some sort of T-Mobile cell-phone gag? Jeez, we’re getting a headache.– 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.