California Becomes War of Words

[BillytheKid]

Not that I have time for this, but verbal volleys have begun between Horner and Leipheimer in California.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/05/news/california-analysis-let-the-mind-games-begin_218293

Does Horner have just concern and complant over the Omega Pharma Quickstep no-show at the front duirng Stage 1?

 

[Caruut]

Not that I have time for this, but verbal volleys have begun between Horner and Leipheimer in California.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/05/news/california-analysis-let-the-mind-games-begin_218293

Does Horner have just concern and complant over the Omega Pharma Quickstep no-show at the front duirng Stage 1?

Bit of a non-story. Teams aren't going to work if their leaders aren't capable of winning, but at the same time, other teams can't just believe that story as soon as they hear it. Then some journalist shoves a mic in their faces and says "explain!" and they do.

 

[El Pistolero]

Sounds like a whiner to me.

 

[DominicDecoco]

Horner has never been my cup of tea.

 

[Don Johnson]

Sounds like a whiner to me.

Goss will woop boonens candy *** in a sprint he cares about, any day of the week. the hitch
This quote was really quite funny.
Back in the day when Gov. Jerry Brown was governator of California Brown said 'Let them eat cucumber sandwiches.' Brown drove himself to work in a Dodge Dart.

 

[BillytheKid]

Sounds like a whiner to me.

I saw two Horner interviews this one with Bicycling:

http://www.steephill.tv/players/720...ia&id=Chris-Horner-Bicycling-coms-Dai&yr=2012

And the one with NBC Sports (no link available). Helmet on...later than the first interview...no smiling Chirs. He was clearly annoyed at Leipheimer, even before the race.

 

[BillytheKid]

Horner has never been my cup of tea.

The reason I like Horner, is he's not a Nat Team creation. He's done the most on his own of any American cyclist ever. He's not a pretty boy for sure so I guess some would not be attracted to him.

 

[theyoungest]

The Horner-Levi wars... where's the peace and love of Mt. Baldy last year?

 

[Caruut]

The reason I like Horner, is he's not a Nat Team creation. He's done the most on his own of any American cyclist ever. He's not a pretty boy for sure so I guess some would not be attracted to him.

Yes, but compared to a man who resembles a hypoallergenic cat, he's quite good looking.

Levi just strikes me as the prototypical boring racer, everything establishment, Horner doesn't seem to be like that.

 

[jens_attacks]

i've heard levi recuperated his stamina pretty fast for cali.if that's true we might see indeed a war on the 8 kms of mt. baldy.attacks after attacks,it will be fun.

 

[Caruut]

i've heard levi recuperated his stamina pretty fast for cali.if that's true we might see indeed a war on the 8 kms of mt. baldy.attacks after attacks,it will be fun.

If he is better by then, he's going to go down in my estimation for trying to use the crash as an excuse not to work.

 

[Anonymous]

Much of this goes back to the Sierra Rd stage last year.

Levi was the team leader. Levi could not hang with Horner's pace. Levi is a much stronger Time Trialist than Ryder Hesjdal. Hesjdal was who Levi was concerned with (at the time). Levi thought Horner should have backed off. Horner didn't. Levi was ****ed. Horner won. Levi was really ****ed.

There you have it.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Horner has never been my cup of tea.

I second that.

 

[patrick767]

I usually like Horner, but he should zip it here. Leipheimer isn't "playing possum" when he's only been training again for two weeks. There's no way Leipheimer expects to be at his best and very likely he won't be. That's not bluffing. It's the reality of a serious injury. We'll know for sure soon, probably before the ITT even though there's only one true MTF from what I see of the route and that's Baldy in stage 7.

Also, why is Horner going on about Boonen? I didn't think he was considered a GC threat. Some of the later climbs, especially Mt. Baldy, are too tough.

 

[El Pistolero]

I usually like Horner, but he should zip it here. Leipheimer isn't "playing possum" when he's only been training again for two weeks. There's no way Leipheimer expects to be at his best and very likely he won't be. That's not bluffing. It's the reality of a serious injury. We'll know for sure soon, probably before the ITT even though there's only one true MTF from what I see of the route and that's Baldy in stage 7.

Also, why is Horner going on about Boonen? I didn't think he was considered a GC threat. Some of the later climbs, especially Mt. Baldy, are too tough.

He was talking about possible stage wins.

 

[Caruut]

Much of this goes back to the Sierra Rd stage last year.

Levi was the team leader. Levi could not hang with Horner's pace. Levi is a much stronger Time Trialist than Ryder Hesjdal. Hesjdal was who Levi was concerned with (at the time). Levi thought Horner should have backed off. Horner didn't. Levi was ****ed. Horner won. Levi was really ****ed.

There you have it.

One reason I don't like Levi - this kind of "I deserve it handed to me on a plate attitude". Horner closed down the gap to Hesjedal for Levi, and was still stronger than him. The only person Levi should be ****ed with is himself. If he were a deserving winner, he could have stayed with Horner.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Much of this goes back to the Sierra Rd stage last year.

Levi was the team leader. Levi could not hang with Horner's pace. Levi is a much stronger Time Trialist than Ryder Hesjdal. Hesjdal was who Levi was concerned with (at the time). Levi thought Horner should have backed off. Horner didn't. Levi was ****ed. Horner won. Levi was really ****ed.

There you have it.

sounds like levi is the whiner here. horner doesn't come across like one to me anyway

 

[cineteq]

I second that.

Is it because he was only to drop Contador?

 

[UpTheRoad]

i've heard levi recuperated his stamina pretty fast for cali.if that's true we might see indeed a war on the 8 kms of mt. baldy.attacks after attacks,it will be fun.

I don't understand -- this does not make sense to me at all.

 

[jens_attacks]

I don't understand -- this does not make sense to me at all.

horner needs to gap levi.i'm pretty sure he won't be an easy target,hell he might even drop horner if he's recovered...we'll see

 

[Angliru]

One reason I don't like Levi - this kind of "I deserve it handed to me on a plate attitude". Horner closed down the gap to Hesjedal for Levi, and was still stronger than him. The only person Levi should be ****ed with is himself. If he were a deserving winner, he could have stayed with Horner.

Maybe it's Levi's contention that with Horner continuing his tempo after reeling in Hesjedal, it tied Levi's hands, as was stated in the link in the OP's post, he couldn't continue on with Horner without pulling Hesjedal along. I'm assuming Hesjedal has a better sprint than the two of them or at minimum better than Levi, should they all had made it to the finish together. Possibly Levi felt he had the legs to match Horner. Horner's decision to go for his own interests after starting out as Leipheimer's lieutenant was a questionable, rather scandalous, and dastardly brilliant move. It's my guess it was around that moment that Leipheimer decided it was time for him to look into jumping ship, which he did.

 

[Anonymous]

One reason I don't like Levi - this kind of "I deserve it handed to me on a plate attitude". Horner closed down the gap to Hesjedal for Levi, and was still stronger than him. The only person Levi should be ****ed with is himself. If he were a deserving winner, he could have stayed with Horner.

Agreed.

I don't really know why Levi was upset last year. After Sierra Road he still had Baldy to go full gas and if Horner dropped, Horner dropped.

He could not drop him so he didn't win. If the better guy happens to be your teammate then that's not all bad.

I'm just guessing... but I think Horner likely was a little peeved at Levi getting upset last year. So now we have a little rivalry which is good.

 

[Anonymous]

Maybe it's Levi's contention that with Horner continuing his tempo after reeling in Hesjedal, it tied Levi's hands, as was stated in the link in the OP's post, he couldn't continue on with Horner without pulling Hesjedal along. I'm assuming Hesjedal has a better sprint than the two of them or at minimum better than Levi, should they all had made it to the finish together. Possibly Levi felt he had the legs to match Horner. Horner's decision to go for his own interests after starting out as Leipheimer's lieutenant was a questionable, rather scandalous, and dastardly brilliant move. It's my guess it was aroung that moment that Leipheimer decided it was time him to look into jumping ship, which he did.

Well, if Hesjedal could have gone with Horner he would have. Levi didn't ride up to Horner because he could'nt.

Proof of that is when Horner is safely clear Levi could have attacked Hesjedal but he didn't have it (and attacking is not in his nature) and ended up getting caught by other potential favorites;

Horner led the pair, riding mostly out of the saddle with Leipheimer tucked behind. It looked as though Horner was setting up Leipheimer for a final attack.

But the pair soon closed on Garmin-Cervelo’s Ryder Hesjedal, who had attacked on a descent 15km earlier and hit the base of the Sierra climb with a 30-second lead. When Horner and Leipheimer caught the Canadian, Horner accelerated slightly. Leipheimer, the three-time winner of the Tour of California, could not follow, and instead marked Hesjedal.

Horner never looked back after that, riding to victory by over a minute.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/05/news/horner-takes-control-of-tour-of-california-with-brilliant-sierra-road-climb_174284

 

[thehog]

Two bald men in their 40’s going at it on Baldy?

 

[Caruut]

Maybe it's Levi's contention that with Horner continuing his tempo after reeling in Hesjedal, it tied Levi's hands, as was stated in the link in the OP's post, he couldn't continue on with Horner without pulling Hesjedal along. I'm assuming Hesjedal has a better sprint than the two of them or at minimum better than Levi, should they all had made it to the finish together. Possibly Levi felt he had the legs to match Horner. Horner's decision to go for his own interests after starting out as Leipheimer's lieutenant was a questionable, rather scandalous, and dastardly brilliant move. It's my guess it was around that moment that Leipheimer decided it was time for him to look into jumping ship, which he did.

If either Hesjedal or Leipheimer were strong enough to follow, they would have done. Horner attacking after catching Hesjedal is the exact right thing to do. If they catch him and then just drag him up, letting him recover a bit, then that's a bit of a waste of energy. If they've caught Hesjedal at that tempo, they'll probably drop him.

The only things that betrayed Levi were his legs. If Horner had actually screwed him over, then he would have been perfectly justified chasing him down. He was just ****ed that Horner didn't wait for him. If you get dragged up a climb and then can't stick with the guy who dragged you up it, then you don't deserve the stage.

If Horner takes Hesjedal with him, that's stabbing Levi in the back. As it is, he puts in a little dig to drop Hesjedal, as he should, and Levi is too weak to follow. No scandal, just bike racing.