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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Our guys are clean, their guys are dirty
Editor:
I have to say that as an American I am shocked at the results of the latest VeloNews polls about Michael Rasmussen. I can't believe how many people are already hanging this guy when he never actually failed a drug test. I'll bet these are same people who were the first to stick up for Floyd Landis, even though he actually failed a test.

Remember 10 years ago when the French would not accept that their guys were cheating on Festina? I could never understand how that was, but now seeing how biased we Americans are in regards to our own disgraced cyclists like Landis and Tyler Hamilton (remember him?) who actually failed tests, I can see why we are so quick to sign off on Rasmussen.

Cycling has become an absolute joke.

Rick Gorton
Saratoga Springs, New York

’A fatal bias’: Offensive beyond words
Editor:
Regarding Bob Mionske’s latest column, I have only this to say: The very idea that, to some, the value of a human being’s life is dependent on the vehicle he or she happens to be attached to is offensive to me beyond words.

Bill Rupy
Goshen, New York

Flip phone, not bird
Editor:
I'm sure you've been inundated with letters from road riders describing their close calls. When I've been harassed by thugs in SUV's or little old ladies in VW's, I just reach around and grab my cell phone out of my back pocket and wave it at them. That generally sends them on their way.

It's a lot more civilized than flipping them the bird, and doesn't escalate the issue. And, it's the adult thing to do.

Terry L. Rhedin
North Island, California

Could Trebon have herniated disk?
Editor:
There have been several recent articles about Ryan Trebon and his suffering from several different ailments, the most recent here:

There was another article a week or so ago that said that he was having numbness in his foot or his leg, which he said made him feel like he was pedaling with just one leg.

As a former weekend racer who has dealt with a herniated disk, I'm wondering if Ryan Trebon might be suffering from the same thing. My symptoms started with a pain in my right glute. It gradually went down my leg to the side of my foot, ultimately forcing me to stop riding. Neither cortisone shots nor physical therapy helped, and I ultimately had to have surgery after 10 months of dealing with pain and no riding.

Five months later, I did Ride the Rockies pain-free.

My point is, if Trebon is dealing with a disk issue, I have a lot of compassion and hope that he's getting good treatment. I tried to find a way to contact him, but was unsuccessful. If any of you guys are able to pass this along, please do.

Jim La Fleur
Mill Valley, California

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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.