Do you want to contribute to Mailbag, a regular feature of VeloNews.com? Here's how:
● Keep it short. And remember that we reserve the right to edit for grammar, length and clarity.
● Include your full name, hometown and state or nation.
● Send it to webletters@insideinc.com.

Aren’t we being prétentieux?
Dear VeloNews.com,
As a member de the Rochester bike community and supporter de the Rochester Twilight Criterium since its inception I am pleased to see the news regarding expansion de our hometown race (see "Race promoter announces plans for a six-day, UCI Cat. 2 stage race in upstate New York").

My only concern is the ridiculous trend de replacing 'of' with 'de' in the naming de American bike races. Is this supposed to be cute? To identify the event as a bike race to an unknowing reader? It makes about as much sense as clapping in a movie theater or signs that boast de having Braille menus. De course I could just be overreacting.
Ride on Rochester.
Ted Leaf
Ontario, New York

Armstrong’s wide appeal
Dear Velo,
Ever since Armstrong retired and stopped racing the tour, my wife quit watching and being interested in cycling (interestingly enough, she has never, ever ridden a bicycle). She would watch every stage on TV when he raced and now she has quit. However, as she has learned he will return and race the 2009 tour, she will be back on the couch with me for the month of July.

What a way to bring families together! If now we could only get the 3 1/2, 2, and 6 week year old to sit still for Tour "live" session each day!!
Mike Julien
Marana, Arizona

O’Grady couldn’t have done better
Dear Editors,
If Grady's were writing a parody of the current cycling news, even he wouldn't have thought of something better than this (see "Vino' confirms plans to ride again").

What next?

Merckx reorganizing the Molteni team to show Armstrong who's the real boss?

The French, angered beyond comprehension that he's coming back, hurriedly create a clone of Jacques Anquetil to carry the tri-color into Paris wearing the yellow jersey?

The Germans accelerate their plans for deploying a time machine; Sending someone back in time to knock some sense in to Jan Ulrich before he dopes clumsily. As a consequence, it is Jan who wins every Tdf since his first victory. Lance Armstrong ends up being a successful tri-athlete, joining Scott Tinley in a traveling training clinic, but all the while muttering that it is HE who should be the TdF overlord of the decade.
John Rees
Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina

Huh?
Dear Editors,
I'm confused. How can Vinokourov return to the top level of cycling? I thought, in addition to a two-year ban from all professional cycling (which your article covers) that there was a four-year ban to return to the Pro Tour level, ie, Astana. Your article on his return does not mention this. What don't I understand?
Daniel Hodel

Dear Daniel,
Vinokourov was originally suspended for a year, following his positive for homologous blood-doping (what our resident cartoonist, Patrick O’Grady, refers to as “having too much blood in his blood”). The World Anti-Doping Code and UCI rules call for a minimum two-year suspension. The UCI threatened to appeal the light penalty to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport, but they have not yet. The “four-year ban” to which you refer is the essential doubling of any penalty under ProTour rules. Of course, the ProTour isn’t exactly thriving these days. Whatever the rules, whatever the appeal, whatever the outcome, the Tour, the Giro and the Vuelta still reserve the right to invite or not riders of their choosing. - Editor

Levi’s a class act
Dear Velo,
The recent article on Levi Leipheimer (see "Leipheimer reflects on a long and interesting season")reinforces what many of us have known all along: He is a class act. He continually demonstrates a calm, reasoned, and gracious attitude that many in the local, regional, national, and international peloton would do well to emulate. Also, thanks to VeloNews for providing an upbeat perspective in the midst of the seemingly endless turmoil we call cycling!

Cheers and Best Wishes to Levi!
Mike Malone
Oxford, Ohio