Horner' s interview

[greenedge]

He watched the race on TV like all of us!!!

So true.

Next year will be exciting ( With the Shack animating the race into a war zone ). Horner and Kloden can aid at the race, whilst Bruyneel will talk tactics to Andy repeatedly before the TDF. This could actually be exciting.

I don't like how he criticised BMC. They signed Cummings, TJVG and Pinotti to help them. Add to that Thor/ Gilbert Also Frank and Morabito should come. Hincapie/ GVA/ Burghardt/ Santamorita/ Mauro and Quinziato can also be thrown into the mix along with Frank and Morabito. I'm sure if the Shlecks want to win, their team will have to ride tempo/ attack on the mountain stages. Also Cancellara could win the prologue making them ride for the first week ( if he does not lose much time to Gilbert on Stage 2 ). A team packed with GC leaders and strong domestiques will be expected to do some work.

Also BMC on the difficult stages/ hilly stages for Gilbert will not actually need to do any more work than they did this year as on stage 1/4/ 8 they were prominent ensuring Cadel would be well placed/ go for the win. It will be the same except that Cadel will be safer now ( probably not getting stage wins in the hills ) and Gilbert would be set up the stage.

With Thor ( he can use GVA/ Pinotti to guide him ) on harder sprints and we saw this year he could just get in a break and win.

I therefore do not agree with Horners' views in these regards. However it is interesting to hear his views and good to hear that he knows he has no chance to win the TDF

I would not mind Thor doing the Giro ( but i still want him to do the TDF )

 

[greenedge]

Still it's possible that he will need to rely on allies like Liquigas/Saxobank/Sky etc. Or be exposed to attacks from some of them as well

Of course he will but that matter can be dealt with at the TDF. lol at Wiggins putting in attacks.

Horner has 2 years max left in the peleton just like Voigt ( i am sadder to think of no Voigt )

 

[thehog]

If Andy is on form and is the protected guy then destroying the field is exactly what Chris' job would be. He would go to the front and "Thin the herd"

Chris has kids, and ex-wife, and only a few years left. I can understand what he has already analyzed the possibilities.

A few years left? He's 42!

 

[auscyclefan94]

dn`t think that Thor will do a year without the tour now, as he is arguably in his last year at his very top level

I don't want to sound too harsh but Thor wants the team to be around him at Roubaix. It is likely guys such as Ballan will be putting aside their ambitions so Thor can win Roubaix. cadel is the defending champion ffs. Thor can go **** off for all I care if he doesn't want to ride for Cadel. Surely cadel deserves a full team behind. I personally wish Thor never came to BMC.

 

[ElChingon]

Its a good interview where a rider finally puts his two cents in minus any censor/propaganda/omerta comments. I especially like the jab at Andy, hopefully to prod him along.

It reads much like any CN Forum poster on a race, opinionated self centered and critical. Lets see a fellow's CN forum poster who doesn't do that!

I say all interviewers must be in this format, even if a few drinks are involved.

Refreshing and incisive and thought provoking. MORE!

 

[BroDeal]

Its a good interview where a rider finally puts his two cents in minus any censor/propaganda/omerta comments. I especially like the jab at Andy, hopefully to prod him along.

It reads much like any CN Forum poster on a race, opinionated self centered and critical. Lets see a fellow's CN forum poster who doesn't do that!

I say all interviewers must be in this format, even if a few drinks are involved.

Refreshing and incisive and thought provoking. MORE!

Too honest for some people evidently.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Too honest for some people evidently.

I think you are missing the point. It's not that he is being 'honest' but more what he is actually saying. Some of the things he has said have caused are controversial and people are discussing it. I don't really see the problem with people critquing what he said

 

[Granville57]

However it is interesting to hear his views and good to hear that he knows he has no chance to win the TDF

I must've missed that part.
If Horner goes to the TdF in the same shape his was in this year, I'm guessing Andy is going to have to be significantly stronger ("hands down") for Chris to put his own ambitions aside.

I would love nothing more than to see Horner, Klodi and the Schlecks all arrive at the final iTT within seconds of each other. Then, it's every man for himself. Bring it on...

 

[ElChingon]

I think you are missing the point. It's not that he is being 'honest' but more what he is actually saying. Some of the things he has said have caused are controversial and people are discussing it. I don't really see the problem with people critquing what he said

Oh my! Controversy! How dare he start it, only an anonymous forum poster can do that!

Only if more interviews got everyone up in arms about team leaders, rider abilities, past race reviews/critiquing, must maybe we'd have more to talk about in terms of RACING and PRO TEAMS members outside the typical CLINIC topics!

Bring more of these interviews! MORE!

 

[auscyclefan94]

Oh my! Controversy! How dare he start it, only an anonymous forum poster can do that!

Only if more interviews got everyone up in arms about team leaders, rider abilities, past race reviews/critiquing, must maybe we'd have more to talk about in terms of RACING and PRO TEAMS members outside the typical CLINIC topics!

Bring more of these interviews! MORE!

Way to totally misunderstand what I am saying!

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Sastre was the lucky guy out of the 3 teammates. Tactics won him the Tour.

Andy bonking on the Tourmalet was a "tactic"? Okay then.

 

[movingtarget]

Yea agree, Sastre was the strongest guy in the race. You don't take 2 minutes on everyone else up Alpe d'Huez because of tactics. Also he only lost 30 seconds to Evans in the final TT...

I like Horner and agree with most of his comments plus he he likes to stir the pot and have a bit of fun with people. As for Sastre's win, the turning point was Evan's fall. I am not convinced he would have lost so much time on the Alpe without the fall, even though he had three riders from the one team working him over. Funny how bitter the Schlecks still are about Sastre's win. I have no problem with Sastre winning the race. He rode smart by sitting in the bunch for 2.5 weeks, making one big attack and rode what was for him, a great time trial. I think Riis had it all planned tactically and he knew Evans could never cover every attack without help which never came until late in the stage and Evans was cooked anyway. Sastre's team was incredibly strong in 2008 and dominated the race. The only comment of Horner's I have to query is BMC not buying any climbers for 2012. Evan's showed last season, if you can climb well and everything else is taken care of, support on the final climb is not that important. Same with Contador in the Giro.

 

[Havetts]

Andy bonking on the Tourmalet was a "tactic"? Okay then.

IIRC, it was Hautacam where he lost 9 minutes.

 

[theyoungest]

The only comment of Horner's I have to query is BMC not buying any climbers for 2012. Evan's showed last season, if you can climb well and everything else is taken care of, support on the final climb is not that important. Same with Contador in the Giro.

Well, yes, they won these respective races without much climbing support, but of course it's not ideal. I'm sure Evans would have liked to have a decent climber control the gap to Schleck for the first half of the Galibier, rather than riding on front for the entire climb.

 

[El Pistolero]

IIRC, it was Hautacam where he lost 9 minutes.

Good old Piepoli and Cobo

 

[Havetts]

Good old Piepoli and Cobo

I'm still wondering if they agreed Piepoli would win or they just fought it out, that finish looked so awkward.

 

[maltiv]

Sastre was the lucky guy out of the 3 teammates. Tactics won him the Tour.

I've heard this many times and it's bull****. Lets say it was Frank Schleck who attacked instead of Sastre. Let's say Frank Schleck finished in the exact same position as Sastre did, i.e approximately 2 minutes ahead of everyone. Sastre still would have finished ahead of him on GC because he ****ing passed him in the TT.

 

[Havetts]

I've heard this many times and it's bull****. Lets say it was Frank Schleck who attacked instead of Sastre. Let's say Frank Schleck finished in the exact same position as Sastre did, i.e approximately 2 minutes ahead of everyone. Sastre still would have finished ahead of him on GC because he ****ing passed him in the TT.

Boom. Mega +1.

 

[LaFlorecita]

ps another early Horner Photo

Oh God... That's just hideous.

 

[fasthill]

I've heard this many times and it's bull****.

Yep. This is another bull and I'm surprised it came from Horner:

"Cadel controlled the two brothers and he had to let somebody go," he said.

Andy wasn't part of the game, he was 9 something minutes out of the game, Evans didn't have to worry about him. When Sastre went, IMO Evans just didn't quite have the legs or was hoping Sastre wouldn't be able to pull it off and he chose to see what he can do with Frank. And he tried to hurt Frank but it just didn't work out the way he hoped. Good move by CSC but there's nothing brilliant about it, any other team would have done the same.

 

[cineteq]

Sastre still would have finished ahead of him on GC because he ****ing passed him in the TT.

Because this is so black and white, right? Sorry that type of math doesn't apply in real life.

 

[thehog]

Because this is so black and white, right? Sorry that type of math doesn't apply in real life.

Yes it does. Predictive modeling has been around for 1000's of years. How do you think gambling odds work?

What's doesn't work is your theory of "what ever will be will be" as there's not a predicted result so there is no result.

What a strange post.

 

[mewmewmew13]

Oh God... That's just hideous.

haha...for some reason makes me think of some 'trilogy' fantasy

 

[maltiv]

Because this is so black and white, right? Sorry that type of math doesn't apply in real life.

You think Fränk Schleck would have ridden 2:30 faster in the TT if he had the yellow jersey (or Sastre 2:30 slower if he didn't)?

 

[cineteq]

Yes it does. Predictive modeling has been around for 1000's of years. How do you think gambling odds work?

What's doesn't work is your theory of "what ever will be will be" as there's not a predicted result so there is no result.

What a strange post.

Oh really, how would you account for a stomach ache, drastic changes of weather conditions, crashes, motivation, tiredness, etc.

If we could apply your predictive modeling why even bother and watch the races?

Example: La Vuelta 2011

Your post is very strange indeed