Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
VeloNews.com welcomes your letters. If you run across something in the pages of VeloNews magazine or see something on VeloNews.com thatcauses you to want to write us, dropus a line.Please include your full name and home town. By submitting mail tothis address, you are consenting to the publication of your letter.
Cipo’s back. Oh happy day
Editors;
Great News! (See “World’sfastest retiree turns in world’s shortest ‘retirement‘”)The cycling world needs Cipo’. We al hope to see him in the Tour nextyear and hope to see him win more races in 2003 including a new recordat the Giro!Mike Franze
Dear VeloNews;
If it weren’t for his histrionics, he wouldn’t be nearly as much fun.I am glad his pseudo retirement is over in time to make the Vuelta andthe worlds much more interesting!Giny Chandler
Dear VeloNews;
I think it is great. Cipo’ is great for cycling and road cycling inparticular – a clean (no drugs) Ali for the sport and a damn fine cyclistto boot.Tim Williamson
Annapolis, MD
Dear VeloNews;
Cipo’ is back! Right on!
John Givens
Dear VeloNews;
Cipo’s back! And long may he remain. It’s people like Super Mario andLance who will drag cycling kicking and screaming into the 21st century.
Mike Ruddy
Dear VeloNews;
Long live the king!
Travis Gibbon
Dear Mario;
Ah, Cipo’. In a fit of pique, you said you were gone. In a fit of reality,now you’re back. How did you plan to “retire” anyway, when you still hadthe record at the Giro within your grasp?For it is the Giro, not this year’s Worlds, not the Tour just past (atrue travesty, to be sure, for he and his team to have not been invited),that really accounts for his return. How can any lion let such temptingprey be left untouched?Sheesh…anyone could’ve seen this coming!Bob Carhart
Bowie, MD
VeloNews;
Bravo to SuperMario!He is good for our sport. He is a welcome departure from the Wool Jerseyswho are deciding the direction of the sport… and are screwing it up.We need attention; we need press; we need sponsors; we need the love anddevotion of all women from the age of 18-48. Mario brings that. A littlescandal (tiger uniforms, not doping) on the sports pages is good.Kevin Petit
United States Army,
currently serving in Northern Italy
Editors;
The Royal rider of the peloton is back!! I think he will look goodin a rainbow jersey.
Bryan Phillips
Dear VeloNews;
Hi there!……I think it is super great! Good news to my ears. Cipo’definitely adds color and zest and excitement to the peloton…. he isa great athlete and he is good at showmanship and I am sure he is excellentwhen it comes to business savy… lets face it, he is to cycling what Aliis to boxing or Connors & McEnroe are to tennis.Thanks.
John Phillips
No, Cipo’ is a slacker
Mario was one of three things; tired from an early and hectic season,he is a prima Donna and wanted to punish the Tour de France for “banning”him after his celebrated early exits, he did not want to live up to hiscommitment to come and race in New York. No matter which one it was histeam deserves a better leader for all the work they do for him.
Bruckert Clayton Marcus
Knew the retirement was a farce from the get-go. Though a great sprinterthis guy is a first rate prima donna, a swell headed brat who can’t getover himself. It’s nice to watch him sprint and excruciating to hear himtalk.Don Pollari
Mario got what he deserved from the organizers of the Tour after thenumber of times he has bailed before he had to ride up any significanthills. If he had shown the guts to stay in the race (especially when hewas wearing the green jersey) a few times he’d have a case. Pay-back isa bitch, eh Mario? Mario is back? Yawn.Thanks,
Stan Bonis
Concord N.H.
Sure Cipo’ is back, but Lyne is riding ‘cross!
Dear VeloNews;
I can’t think of a better personality match. Lyne is a fantastic, funperson (see “Wednesday’s news briefs: Evans to Telekom; Bessette eyesmore ‘cross”).Last year at a race she was having trouble with the barriers; Bashingher shins, and stumbling. She had her head down, leaning on the seat, pushingthe bike. When she lifted her head to remount; She was laughing at herself!She went on to win the race.Stu and Emily Thorne are also great people who give much more than theyreceive. Most Cross racers are really in it for the fun, and Cyclo-crossworld.comprovides lots of help towards allowing all of us, Lyne included, to enjoyourselves.Bill Crowther
Northampton, Ma.
Cheesehead ‘crossers
It was great to hear from Mr O’Grady on how hard it is to put on ahigh caliber CX race, such as SuperCup (see “Friday’sfoaming rant: Making the sign of the (cyclo-)cross“). I did notrealize how hard it actually is.As an organizer of a local CX race here in Wisconsin (Part of a 6 raceseries) we thought we had it hard. Well, we got it made!!We’re lucky; our Director of County Parks likes Cyclo-cross and hasbeen good to us.SuperCup in Chicago was always a great event and it willbe missed. Hopefully the rise in popularity of Cyclo-cross will spur morelocal races and series. Only if we can see a rise in popularity of CX willwe lure the sponsors. It all starts locally.I always hear about East Coast Cross, West Coast Cross and Rocky MountainCross. Here in the Upper Midwest Cyclo-cross is growing. We have a wayto go to reach marked recognition, but our races & series are growingin numbers with more riders and stiffer competition every year.Here in Wisconsin we’ll sit thru a Packer game in December, nearly nakedand painted up in green & gold; so cyclo-cross does not sound too oddto anyone around here.
Regards,
John Ericsson
Madison, Wisconsin
A-MEN! I really enjoy your cyclo-cross writings. I believe Tim willput on a great series. Let us drink from the Redline Cup. It will be fun.As big a bummer as it is to not have a SuperCup this year, we ‘crosson. In fact, this may be a blessing in disguise. Now the responsibilityof putting on top notch quality events is divided among many hands. TheSupercup will once again regain Super status, hopefully as a result ofco-operation amongst the various promoters. Look what Adam Myerson hasdone with the New England series, 7 races with 7 different promoters. Itis possible. I look forward to the days of a true “National” series ofseven or eight races with other UCI events thrown in to keep us from gettingbored.The Presidio was a very special weekend. I’m glad I was there.
See you in Napa.
Later.
Jer Walker
Saturn of Toledo
VeloNews.com welcomes your letters, and not just because it’s contentthat we don’t have to pay for. Really.So send yours to webletters@7dogs.com.Shorter is better, no matter what the spammers claim, but no matter howbrief the comment, everything gets edited for spelling, grammar, usage,libel, silliness, idiocy, and vicious, unprincipled assaults on all wehold dear, the last of which which is the exclusive province of VN screedmeisterPatrick O’Grady’s Foaming Rant and may not be rebroadcast or redistributedwithout the express written permission of the National Football League…Whoops, wrong sport. Bigger necks, smaller packages.And now we return you to the VeloNews Web site, which is alreadyin progress.