• Mailbag

Tuesday’s Mailbag: Simoni’s complaint; Voigt’s class; What Would Andy Ride?

by VeloNews.com

• May 30, 2006
• Comments Off

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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New team for Gilberto?
Editor,
Say, is Gilberto Simoni trying to become the captain of the Bicciniand Monini racing team?

An angry Simoni called Basso an “extraterrestrial” for hiscrushing performance and accused him riding unfairly by asking him to rideeasy on the perilous descent off the Mortirolo.

Perhaps Gibo has Basso confused with Lance Armstrong’s riding buddy andchief tifosi, Robin “Mork” Williams. Nanoo, nanoo!
Alan Birnbaum
Fresno, CaliforniaGentlemen on bikes
Dear VeloNews,
Just a quick bravo! to Jens Voigt & CSC for Friday’s 19thstage of the Giro. His quote says it all:

I always like to win, but if I don’t work, I don’t win.If I win, it’s because I am good and I worked for it. To win likethis, it wouldn’t be a win. That’s just not me. I cannot win like that.

The man and his team, since apparently he spoke, via radio, to the teamcar, showed real class in how they handled the finish by not sprintingagainst Juan Manuel Garate. What other sport plays out its gameswith class like this?We all know about Armstrong’s gift of Ventoux to Pantani and Pantani’ssubsequent denials in the tour years ago. Armstrong’s later comments,during subsequent tour stage wins of “no gifts” not withstanding, the sportsmanshipdisplayed by Voigt (and by Garate in how he handled the situation), demonstratedthe best of sport, cycling or otherwise.
Congratulations to both riders & their teams
Bill Fournell
Manhattan Beach, CaliforniaHear, hear!
Dear Velo,
After reading about Friday’s stage of the Giro, I am convinced thatJens Voigt is the classiest rider in the peloton. Only a true gentlemanwould ride like he did, then have the class to not contest
the finish so that Garate was guaranteed a win that he deserved.Well done, Jens, I tip my hat to you!
Luca Rattazzi
Shortened stage?
Dear Editor
I could not agree more with Bjarne Riis’ comments regarding the shorteningof the Giro’s Stage 17. What is the problem here? Some of the riderscomplained and the organizers caved in. They have not ridden in snow before?It’s not as if they would have been riding in a blizzard! They are notgetting paid enough? I noted that Bettini was one of the riders that voicedhis concern. This is the same guy that deliberately rode Baden Cooke intothe barriers in last year’s Giro and complained in this year’s race thatsomeone cut him off and cost him a stage win. Like many professional sportsmenthese days I consider him to be a two-dimensional bore and a hypocrite.No wonder the older generations shake their heads. The modern riders ridebetter bikes with better backup and medical assistance, with greater payand on better roads. They also ride fewer races and eat better food. Noone twisted their arms to become professional bike riders.As for the latest drugs scandal I have this to say: Does Lance Armstrongwant to retract any of his previous comments about the levels of dopingwithin the peloton? A penny for Alexander Vinokourov’s thoughts.
Ian Sharp
Wollongong Australia

Real men ride in snow
Dear Editors,
With all due respect to the current peloton – a group of riders thatcould pedal one-legged and still drop me like a sack of potatoes – whatis up with the shortened stage on Wednesday?I couldn’t help thinking what the likes of Hampsten, Breukink,Zimmerman, and Chiocciolli were thinking when they heard the news of theshortened stage.My god…it would have paled in comparison to what the hard men of daysgone by suffered through. When Hampsten rode over the Gavia to secure his1988 Giro win in a blinding snowstorm, it was -4 Celsius. He wasknocking snowballs from his hair for god’s sake (and he had quite a headof hair!)Wednesday’s weather report was of mixed rain and snow at the top ofPlan de Corones and similar conditions on Passo delle Erbe. It sure lookedand sounded slightly warmer than -4C!Come on, hike up your chamois and ride! It’s only snow, ya damned sallies!
Pete Schaub
Englewood, Colorado
Liberty was right
Dear VeloNews,
I totally agree with the decision to pull sponsorship of the team.As a Liberty Mutual employee I was very happy to see my company sponsora pro team and I enthusiastically followed every race. But Liberty Mutualis in the public eye and to keep the sponsorship would be to condone theactions of Manolo Saiz and the others involved. We can’t do that. We haveto remain honest and to set an example that this type of behavior won’tbe tolerated.You would think with Liberty Mutual giving the team over $8.5 millionthey would be grateful and conduct themselves professionally. Saiz shouldbe banned from ever having anything to do with cycling and I hope LibertyMutual can find some honest team to sponsor and continue to help the sport.
Bernd Krause
Johnson City, New YorkLife-time bans
Dear Velo,
It’s disappointing to read about another major doping scandal in procycling. I don’t blame Liberty Seguros for pulling the plug on their sponsorshipof the team. However, I hope they don’t abandon pro cycling entirely, andpossibly look for other sponsorship opportunities elsewhere in the propeloton.I’m wondering what lengths regulators are going to have to go to inorder to prevent athletes from cheating. Maybe two-year suspensions arenot enough. How about complete suspension from the sport for definite cheaters?If your caught cheating/doping, I don’t want to see you in the pro pelotonever again.I hope Vino still races the Tour. I love his attacking style.
Brian Acord
Arcata, CaliforniaStand by your Team
Dear Velo,
It is a shame that in cycling, more than any other major sport I canthink of, athletes and their organizations are so reliant on their sponsors,for whom all sporting concerns follow business strategy and, sadly, hypocrisy.The Liberty Seguros company has responded to the allegations towards (not,importantly, the convictions of) key members of the Liberty-Würthteam, including Manolo Saiz.It responds with shock that “fair play” is at issue, but how many businessesoperate with fair play as a guiding principle? Corporate values emphasizeprofit and corner-cutting. This is the example set worldwide in the corporateworld, so it is hypocritical for any company involved with cycling to penalizethe sport for utilizing a corporate attitude towards competition. Thisis emphasized by the fact in cycling, in spite of the induction of ProTourrules, a sponsor, title or otherwise, may withdraw any or all support froma team any time it so pleases.I remember Giorgio Squinzi withdrawing Mapei’s support from professionalcycling for similar reasons, but he finished the year. Festina and Cofidiscontinued their support of cycling, and so have several other brands, evenin the face of serious accusations against their teams.Doping is a plague upon a beautiful sport. It isn’t going to go away.Ever. This isn’t new information, it’s as old as the sport, so fans musttake it or leave it. So must investors. I would like to point out to LibertySeguros, and its parent, Liberty Mutual, that for over a decade ridersassociated with Manolo Saiz have been involved in doping scandals. AlexZülle and Neil Stephens were ONCE riders before they became key figuresin the Festina Affair, and there have been constant scandals with formerand active riders in Saiz teams. This has been apparent for anybody followingthe sport, and Liberty should’ve realized this caveat emptor.Liberty has abandoned an entire organization to protect its own name,but for me, one thing is clear: Doping sucks, but in the world of sport,the only real losers are the quitters. In cycling, heroes are born on thefinish line, but also in the flat tires and broken bodies of adversity.Heroes in my sport keep fighting. Liberty are quitters. They’ll never getmy business. Ever.
Matt Neyens
Seattle, WashingtonBravo Liberty
Dear VeloNews,
While the jury is still out on the innocence of those arrested in theSaiz affair, I applaud the sponsor. First, they stuck to their commitmentto the team even in light of Heras’ drug bust…and introduced strong languagein the contract regarding their zero-tolerance on drug use, or even thehint of it. I also applaud the wise business decision to pull out immediately!When will the self-centered few of this sport get it? It’s not about you,you idiots! It’s a sport, God gave some of you a gift, don’t go andblow it (for yourself and others) by cheating!I detest drug users and their whiney-ass excuses…”the speeds are toogreat, the risks are too high, blah, blah, blah, blah.”They should get a real job whereby at the end of a full day atthe office you get to try to fit in a few quality training miles whiledodging (bubba’s) cars, coordinating family priorities, doing your ownwrenching on a bike which is not the latest and greatest thing…onlyto come home to do your own laundry, bike repairs (and don’t evenget me started on a massage).I hope the accused are found guilty (if they are) and loose everythingthey own and end up in jail for 30 years. Harsh, maybe by some, but ifI were king these (sentences) would be viewed as light!See ya out on the road and if you kick my butt up the hill (withoutdrugs), good for you. I’ll take it in good sport!!!
Patrick Buono
Dallas TexasIt looks like most of you agree with the insurance company’s decision.In VeloNews Poll conducted last week, readers expressed strong supportfor the Liberty decision:

Question: Was Liberty Seguros right in cancellingits sponsorship?
Yes: 1268 (92.76%)
No: 48 (3.51%)
Undecided: 51 (3.73%)
total votes: 1367

How do you spell I-R-O-N-Y?
Velo,
Isn’t it fitting that Liberty Seguros finished third in the “Fair Play”classification at the Giro. So how bad were the 19 teams below them?
John Ferguson
Gilbert, Arizona

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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.