Mailbag: Boonen, Simeoni getting rough rides

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Let the people speak!

Editor:
A full month with no mailbag? Does no one have anything to gripe about? Please, if you are holding out because either the letters you have received contain asinine opinions or are concerning topics that have been worn out — don’t. There is a lot of entertainment value in dumb letters, as well as the occasional nugget of wisdom. Let my cycling brethren speak!

Dax Soule
Seattle, Washington

Your wish is our command, Dax. Read ‘em and weep (or laugh, or learn, or a combination of all three).— Editor

Boonen’s getting a rough ride

Editor:
I think it’s terrible that Tom Boonen is going to get clobbered by the cycling authorities for using cocaine. Why should they care if he uses a non-performance-enhancing drug? Let the cops deal with non-cycling related offenses, especially something so trivial.

As far as “setting an example” for kids or whatever, well, the first thing they do when a guy wins a race is hand him a bottle of a fizzy, non-performance-enhancing drug.

George Otis
Tepic, Mexico

We’ll drink to that, George. Does that mean we need counseling?— Editor

Talk about your rough rides. . . .

Editor:
Filippo Simeoni’s right. There’s no excuse for keeping him out of the Giro. It’s a mean and petty slap against a guy who earned his ticket.

The Giro gets my vote as the cheap slut of grand tours. Looks good from a distance, but watch your wallet, boys.

Rob Soteros
Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Thanks to Universal for Giro coverage

Editor:
Props to Universal Sports for carrying the Giro this year. I have to admit that the commentary isn’t up to the crew at Versus. Substituting for Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen, though, is about as easy as finding a replacement for sunshine. While it’s on, I’m still more than happy to watch the action.

Thanks to all the folks that made this happen!

James Westphal
Seattle, Washington

Props for collegiate coverage

Editor:
Thanks, VeloNews, for some decent coverage of collegiate nationals and good photos. Too often this event and collegiate cycling in general are overlooked. Collegiate cycling is one of the best, purest forms of racing. It is all about the team, including both men and women, and all categories from entry level up to category 1.

Way to go, University of Vermont. I do not remember a dominating performance like that in a long time on the men’s side. I went to UVM in the early 1990s and was part of UVM’s first team to ever go to NCAA nationals in 1994. Needless to say, we did not do that well. It is wonderful to see how far you all have come.

The best part is you guys did it with a great team. I loved reading about the teamwork to go one-two in the RR, then you put those same guys on the front the laps few laps of the crit to take total control, as you knew you guy would deliver, and he did. Congratulations to the entire UVM cycling team.

C.J. Gauss
Boulder, Colorado
UVM Class of 1994

C.J., our curmudgeonly commentator and cartoonist, Patrick O’Grady, is also a Vermont ex-pat. He spent part of 1977 living in Winooski after receiving his B.A. in journalism from a much less distinguished university, which qualified him to deliver pizzas to the stoners then infesting UVM and Champlain College. O’Grady returned to Colorado shortly after sampling what Vermonters called “Mexican food.” He has never returned.—Editor

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