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. Writers are encouraged to limit their submissions to one letter per month.

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Money for nuthin’

Editor,
In reference to Erik Greek's 'rant' about component costs (see"Friday'sMailbag"). He shouldn't ask why carbon cranks are so expensive but how an aluminum crank can be so expensive, like the DA and new XTRare. Carbon as a material is way more expensive than aluminum as is theprocess to make it a crankset.

Another thing Mr. Greek ought to be asking is how any of these new gadgets would make him a better cyclist.
Peter Chisholm
Republic of Boulder

Who needs who?

Editors,
The Vuelta needs the Pro Tour more than the Pro Tour needs it (see"UCIwarns Vuelta it may be shortened, share September with German tour").The top non-Spanish teams wouldn’t even show up if they weren’t requiredto. The Giro also has benefited from increased quality of field from thePro Tour. Everyone should be honest about the issues, who controls thetelevision and advertising revenues!
David Beach
Sierra Madre, California

Following the rules

Dear Editor:
With regard to Steven Sheffield’s letter suggesting USADA did not followits own rules (see"Friday'sMailbag"). This is not the case, at least as far as rulesare concerned. Neither USA Cycling nor the UCI anti-doping rulesrequire chaperones, in spite of what the WADA code asks for. Check the rules on their websites. This leaves the door wide open to riders missing tests inadvertently, and deliberately. Take your choice which riders did which.

While you’re asking USA Cycling and the UCI to close that loophole,ask them to get rid of what I like to call the “lots o’ notice” rules. Riders chosen for doping are routinely posted at the finish, well beforethe finish, and even announced on the race radio. Combined with no chaperones, this gives them lots of opportunity to catheterize with clean urine before making their way to the doping control.

And while we’re at it, how about ditching the 30 minutes notice for morning blood tests, also with no chaperone? This allows dilutionof the blood before the test. Then they get four hours before the start to re-infuse their stockpiled blood.

You might also notice Italian cycling doctors have asked for these changes as well. And we say we’re tougher on doping than other sports? We should all look a little more carefully at our own mess before we point fingersat other sports, or legal and anti-doping authorities who are steppingin.

Yours in cycling
Lister Farrar
Victoria, BC
Former Technical Director, Canadian Cycling Association
Manager of anti-doping programs 1983-1992

It’s all about the back

Editor,
Once again O’Grady has cracked on eloquently (see "Friday'sFoaming Rant: Spinal rap"). As someone who has thrown out his back doing such death defying things as tying my shoes and picking up leaves (There are still piles buried under the recent snowfall), I can appreciate all that O’Grady shares in his Rant. My particular chiropractic experience put me back on my bike in time for the first half of cross seasonafter weeks of PT went nowhere. Second half came cascading down withthe extreme leaf picking upping the morning of the Boulder Cup.Thanks Patrick for reminding me that bad backs mean more beer.
Cameron Brantley

Longmont, Colorado

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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. Writers are encouraged to limit their submissions to one letter per month.