Monday’s Mailbag: Testing the testers; San Fran’ redux

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.

Having followed Roberto Heras’ career over the past few years from thedays of supporting Lance Armstrong in the U.S. Postal squad to the lastwin in the Vuelta. I was so happy that he had made it to his record fourthvictory. Then comes the scandal and the denials. Where is my hero?

For every cyclist that admits to taking drugs there seem to be fivethat deny it and state that there is something wrong with the testing system.I agreed that it is an extremely complex testing system, but surely anytest should be without question as it is the future of the cyclist thathangs in the balance. Tyler Hamilton’s career, should he be vindicatedin his appeal, will forever have a question mark hanging over it, Heras’career will be the same, and then they lose two or three years while ina court to battle to save a 10-year career.

I am sick and tired of seeing cyclists fail a test and be able to claimthat they are innocent. Make the testing accurate and catch the cheatsand punish them. But make sure that the cyclists are guilty first.
Shaun Waring-Jones
Pinegowrie, South Africa

Reasonable doubt
Editors,
Before too many line up throw wood on the flames rising around thestake to which Roberto Heras now finds himself bound, let us all rememberthere is one thing worse than the victory of a cheat, or many cheats: Andthat is the conviction of a single innocent man.

The current test for EPO may meet the standard for a preponderance ofevidence, but there appears to be a legitimate scientific question as towhether it qualifies as proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
Craig Medred
Anchorage, Alaska

This could explain July
Dear Velo,
It appears that the positive EPO test for Heras in the Vuelta – andhis success in that race, explains why he did so poorly in the Tour deFrance when he was probably clean.
Bob Schmon

Hubris?
Dear VN,
The only thing these tests seem prove beyond the shadow is that somepeople think they’re awfully smart, 100 percent of the time. It seems likethe tests are a better measure of the hubris of the scientists and administrators(like Dick Pound) than the guilt of the cyclists.

Heras is a cyclist, practically naked and exposed as he climbs up themountains. Scientists and administrators, on the other hand, hide behindtheir obtuse numbers and protocols and ruin the lives of others almostgleefully in their pursuit of “purity.”

I really hope that one of these cases cracks the façade of perfectionthat they’ve erected like a summit finish separated Heras from the pretendersat the Vuelta, which he won fairly. Then I’d like to see the names of thosewho developed the test and the administrators who promoted it banned fromtheir jobs for two years for committing fraud.
Michael Schlitzer
Sterling, Virginia

At least Millar admitted it
Dear Editors,
With Roberto Heras’ positive for EPO in the 2005 Vuelta, coverage ofTyler Hamilton’s efforts to clear his own name will recede further intothe shadows. Maybe that’s the way he wants it.

Like Hamilton, Heras’ protests his innocence and vows to fight. Theromantic in me would love to believe both these guys would sway the preponderanceof evidence in their favor. The realist in me, however, has to recognizethat while science doesn’t afford absolute certainty, it does defineprobabilities with damn good precision.

It’s a cynical conjecture, but an increasingly popular strategy in our’endurance’ sport, guilty or not, seems to be the “Play for Time:” Takethe heat and pound away at the Standard Rate of Error that’s in any scientificprocedure. Even if you don’t “win” outright, the worst you can do is becomeold news. It doesn’t hurt if a fresh scandal shifted the spotlight awayfrom you.

Time passes. The “I believe Tyler” buttons seem to have disappeared.And, what was that website created to support his innocence and solicitfunds for his defense? I can’t remember, but it doesn’t matter. If Herasand his legal team follow Hamilton’s tactics, Heras may end up openinga quaint little restaurant with three gold jerseys on the wall. Maybe Hamiltonwill hang his gold medal in Marblehead, Massachusetts’ nicest bike shop.They’ll continue to insist they were victimized, and we’ll continue tosuffer a procession of our most heroic champions testing positive for dope.

You could say that the situation’s hopeless, but David Millar ‘fessedup. He’s racing next season.
Mike Kallal
New Castle, Colorado

San Fran’ Friendly
Dear editor,
JeffKeeton’s comments were astounding. The SFGP has more great viewpointsfor spectators than any other course ever! You can watch the riders goup, down, cross the flats, corner all within a few blocks. You can sitat sidewalk cafés and watch the race. You can sit in a saloon andwatch the race out the window and also on TV.

How much more “friendly” can a course be? I’ve been to four SFGP’sand it has been a great viewing experience each time. San Jose has roads,but that is where their ability to produce a great course on par with SFends.

Long live the SFGP!!
Ted Leech
Woodinville, Washington

Farewell, Philly…now, look at Charlotte
Dear editor,
It is sad to see any city lose a great race for lack of financial support.Of course, the big city’s loss is Greenville’s gain and no doubt therewill be some scenic venues. But it seems as if financial support wouldalso be lacking in Greenville.

Why not Charlotte?? It’s the site of the richest purse in domestic crit’s. It’s also homeof the Panthers and Bobcats. Local government seems intent on spendingmoney for tourism and non-essential services, in spite of the fact thatvoters said “NO” for a new arena, it was built anyway. There’s a good chancethat the NASCAR Hall of Fame will be located here, with government assistance.On the other hand, Lowe’s Motor Speedway has been a private venture – publiccorporation and has no trouble bringing hundreds of thousands of fans,and the Concord Mills Mall is the most visited tourist attraction in the state.

So the moral of that story is: Cover every inch of the bike and riders’kits with advertising, set up a huge area for discount-shopping bike stuff,have a separate day for rider qualifying times and start positions, chargefans for parking and admission, and “Gentlemen, Start Your Pedals!!”
Scott Smith
Charlotte, North Carolina

NASBIKE? You may have something Scott. – Editor

Time to get some perspective
Dear VeloNews,
Everyone needs to chill. Tradition is cool and all that, and traditionand $2.75 will get you a cup of Starbucks. The good news is that the racesaren’t cancelled, but merely changing location. New location better orworse? Who knows? Who cares? It’s called evolution, and it’s still legalin 47 of 50 states, although we need to take advantage of it whilst westill can. if the new race isn’t better, maybe it will migrate back. ifit is, then everyone wins save maybe the folks in 19-000ish and 94-000ishzip codes.

Army navy wasn’t always in Philly, but at some point someone decidedto break with tradition and to create a new one. but when that got stagnant,they shook things up with the occasional trip to Pasadena or Baltimore,and the football game is better for it.

I dunnoh, maybe I’m all glass-half-full right now because I just drove through the 9th Ward of New Orleans and I’ve seen what it means to really have troubles. Losing a bike race just don’t make tonight’s top ten, not the top hundred these days. So maybe that’s why I’m saying to chill, wait and see. Let’s talk about it in a year.

Take care, y’all.
Major Steve O’Dell
USACE MVD-Fwd JFO LNO

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