I fear bicycle racing news reporting has become a soap. People read the news, waiting for something bad to happen. Seeing which genius has gone positive now.

I have had a few conversations with complete non-cyclists. They talk about lance, mostly (which I love). Occasionally Eddy pops up. The conversation then goes to the London - Brighton bike ride, how many gears my bike has, then le tour. They ask who won; I say "I'm not sure". I really hate it. We then talk about drugs.

It would be brilliant if the last bit of the conversation didn't take place. We could talk about the feeling riding a bike gives you. About noise you hear with a tailwind, the tyres on the road, the chain going over the cassette, through the derailleur, around the chainrings. And, the clarity of thought that gives you. The poetry, the peloton. The love you have for it. I'll save you, I shall not go on!

A cyclist talking to a cyclist. Mostly about RIcco these days. Or report, after report, after report about Contador. It does have its place, of course. It needs to be reported. But, if you run a cycling website, penetrate that bunch of snore with stories of the good guys. The guys who have been pros for years - the brilliant stories they would have. The guys at the bottom. The ones paying their way to make their way, living in shared houses, repairing inner tubes saving the money - just to have coffee at a cafe. The guys just breaking into the pros. With years ahead of them, brilliant futures to hypothesise about. I do have to say, the cycling weekly website, is brilliant for that.

How nice it would be to see those non-cyclists, and talk of only positives. Or just to those who already ride, or race, about the reports the reporters could report (sorry for the twisting of the tongue). Let them have a positive outlook on the sport we love - unconditionally. The sport they might just love too.

Bike racing is beautiful, let it be known!

On a personal note, I opened my road season on Sunday. The perfs pedal race. I was 6th. I tried my hardest. Used myself up too much. Form is pleasing. Speed will come in the next month. Great report of the race from Yanto Barker here...

Belgium Thursday. Might start packing soon!