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Readers' letters on Philly Week, Masters racing and Driscoll's finger tips
Do you want to contribute to Mailbag, a regular feature of VeloNews.com? Here's how:
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Mini-Explainer
Editor,
Driscoll has what on his hands at KC CX Nats? Tool dip, what is it?
Benjamin Zink
Editor's Reply: Actually Jamie Driscoll and his teammate Tim Johnson wore thin, flesh-colored gloves with rubber finger tips.
Amateurs?
Editor,
Why are Maureen Bruno-Roy and Andy Jacques-Maynes racing as masters (at the Kansas City cyclocross championships)?
There's plenty of debate about who should race in the masters category, but it's clear who shouldn't: heavily sponsored riders in their early thirties who regularly finish in the top ten in national elite-level events.
Dan Peterson,
Seattle, Washington
Philly Week thoughts
Editor,
I've just read that there is a possibility that with a new bank taking over the title sponsor for Philly week, it may get cut down to only the International Championship on Sunday.
That would mean no races earlier in the week (ie Allentown & Reading) and no Liberty classic. It may be a sign of the economic times we are currently living in which are starting to penetrate into our sport (ie., the Tour de Georgia).
For a week that has been a staple of American bicycle racing for almost thirty years, I would think that it would be a huge priority not just for the promoters but USA Cycling as well to do everything in their power to keep this great tradition known as Philly Week alive and better every year. It's a shame that Philly doesn't award a stars and stripes at the finish anymore. I hope this possible scenario doesn't come to fruition and the men along with women have a full slate of races to do.
Ryan Smolko,
Allentown, Pennsylvania
'Cross rage — never in Europe
Editor,
Regarding the Cross Rage article, in part, this kind of fan violence is why Euro cycling does not take the US program seriously.
In a life-time of cycling, I've never heard of such a thing happening in Europe. That said, I've never experienced it here either. It's just terrible and all participants should be ashamed. This is the kind of crap I expect to see in US-dominated sports like baseball and football, and it's also why I no longer follow those sports.
Jim Wheeler,
Cupertino, California
Schumacher's suit
Editor,
Arrogance is bliss... or so it seems with pros these days. Is it just me or is Schumacher's recent defamation suit a ridiculously transparent defense scheme?
Anymore, top teams are shying away from riders even suspected of malfeasance and it strikes me as incredibly arrogant that Schumacher is convinced he can get away with this. I can forgive, but only when there is a outright contrition. Go home Stefan, do your time, and maybe in a couple of years you can get a contract with Rock Racing.
J.D. McCay,
Little Rock, Arkansas
Second chances
Editor,
I don't agree with a letter from Chris Madden of Toronto, Canada (in the Dec. 1 Mailbag). Madden said if any one rider is caught on a serious offense (not cough syrup or asthma), cancel the sponsorship of the team, point blank.
Barloworld overreacted and did that, then reconsidered. Saunier Duval has done it, as well as Gerolsteiner.
All these teams pulled out due to principle against doping, but it hasn't been a deterrent yet for the guilty parties. These guys think that they are not going to be caught, so any threat at all no matter how strong are not going to work. If anything, we need the sponsors to keep the teams together and strong and try to fight against doping like Garmin, or Columbia are doing.
Also, I do like Rock Racing even if he is giving some of the ex-dopers a second chance. He has a lot of character to add to the sport. I hope he can keep improving to the point they have a ProTour team one day.
Neil Browne,
Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
