Lidl-Trek (no longer Radioshack-Leopard Trek)

[Afrank]

How is it that Horner does not even make the short list? Beyond his climbing ability he is one of the smartest tactical guys in the sport. He even has led out some of the best sprinters.

Makes no sense

He has a back injury that kept him from taking part in the tour de suisse
According to a RSN spokeperson

“He’s unfortunately struggling with a back injury, which is why he’s also not in Suisse.”

Team press officer Philippe Maertens told VeloNews that missing the Tour de Suisse was the deciding factor in Horner’s omission from the Tour de France.
“Already at California, his back was not OK. That is also the reason why he is not in the Tour de Suisse this week,” said Maertens. “Without racing Swiss, it would be impossible for him to in the Tour de France.”

His next races will be us pro challenge and tour of utah

 

[Boeing]

Lots of negative replies on facebook from American fans about Horner's non-selection. I dunno whether it was the right decision, but this team is falling apart isn't it?

I don't know about Horner either but I don't know how you get to your conclusion about team here either?

 

[Boeing]

. Have Americans adopted the Schlecks?

listening to Phill and Paul you'd think they are the next Great White Hope

 

[Shut Up Legs]

I think you didn't understand what I mean. Gallopin deserves to go based on the quality of his results this year. I just said that he probably won't go because merit doesn't seem to be important for Bruynnel otherwise Gerdemann would be out, Horner in,etc....

Andy Schleck in...

 

[Shut Up Legs]

I don't know about Horner either but I don't know how you get to your conclusion about team here either?

It's simple. The team says due to a back injury Horner is not able to race the Tour yet today he tweeted he just did a 600 mile week. Backs seems fine to me. If they give Andy Schleck 3 weeks to find his peak form they should give Chris Horner a chance to heal is back so he can ride 1000 miles a week?? Clearly it's more politics than his back and that sucks for Radioshack as an American sponsor not having a single American rider and one who is most capable of helping the Schlecks.

 

[Eusebio Kino]

It's simple. The team says due to a back injury Horner is not able to race the Tour yet today he tweeted he just did a 600 mile week. Backs seems fine to me. If they give Andy Schleck 3 weeks to find his peak form they should give Chris Horner a chance to heal is back so he can ride 1000 miles a week?? Clearly it's more politics than his back and that sucks for Radioshack as an American sponsor not having a single American rider and one who is most capable of helping the Schlecks.

Likely a decision from the European sponsor of Horner. Since most of the sponsorship comes from European sponsors, taking a chance on Horner is not an option. Not putting down Chris, it is a business decision, by the commercial sponsors.

 

[Galic Ho]

Kloden and Horner don't get on. It wouldn't work. Kloden is the best Dom going around. Horner is delusional. Thinks he's the 2nd best climber in the world. Hanging about in the US all year hasn't helped his cause.

Smartest move the Hog has made since he broke the clutches of the Feds in the US.

Ssshhhhh! Don't go telling all the secrets, you're supposed to uphold the forum guidelines and put Radioshack down at every turn. Look at all the other comments...they're all confused as to Horner absence, best not disturb their perceived notions of why Horner is really missing. Telling people what's really going on behind the scenes makes you look like a supporter!

No, but seriously, this is right. Horner and a number of the current squad don't get on. Scott SoCal said team leadership issues. Dude, this is the leadership saying a divisive rider won't be going. Lance on the team, yeah Horner goes. Evans, no problems either. Chris works for them. Anyone else...nope. He works for Chris Horner, the second best climber in the world! The Hog has it right, not sending Horner is a stroke of genius, especially when there a number of guys who will help Andy Schleck or Kloden without question. Gerdemann, Fuglsand and Monfort are those selfless guys.

The team will probably have Andreas in a floater role. If Andy falters, they can switch to him on GC. If Andy is going ballistic, super domestique role is his.

 

[webvan]

Yes, Horner is not exactly domestique material and with his crap ITTing these days and climbing not so good as last year, well...on the other hand he's still the best climber on the team with the Schlecks, Kloden won't be able to keep up, again.

What's the story with Horner's European sponsors though, why wouldn't they want him on the race? Did you mean European sponsors of The Shack ?

 

[airstream]

A lot of fun to read how people are even ready to unfairly place all the blame оn Bruyneel for Chris' non-inclusion. You bet, forum members know much better than Bryneel!

 

[T-Nielsen]

I never knew Horner was as good as some of the posts in this thread tell us.

Now I have to build a shrine for him and all...

Personally I have never seen Horner do anything in the tour, but maybe that is just me.

 

[Hammerhed]

Maybe Horner will prove to be valuable come later in the summer? I think Chris may have a real chance to whoop Alberto in the Vuelta and ruin his coming out party? Let's try to be realistic for a moment: Chris will not get to ride head to head against Cadel or Wiggo. Plus, I just cannot visualize JB replacing Andy or Franckie with Chris.

 

[webvan]

I never knew Horner was as good as some of the posts in this thread tell us.

Now I have to build a shrine for him and all...

Personally I have never seen Horner do anything in the tour, but maybe that is just me.

I remember two things:
- 2007 : on Cadel's team and hung on on most of the hard stages, can't remember him really being of any help though
- 2010 : rode along with Armstrong and was there when LA tried to take a stage win in a hilly stage, but that failed. Also produced a decent climb up the Tourmalet

I agree that's it's not a lot to show for a 41 year old dude, self-titled "the second best climber in the world".

Having said that he was absolutely fantastic on the Sierra Road climb last year in the ToC.

 

[T-Nielsen]

I remember two things:
- 2007 : on Cadel's team and hung on on most of the hard stages, can't remember him really being of any help though
- 2010 : rode along with Armstrong and was there when LA tried to take a stage win in a hilly stage, but that failed. Also produced a decent climb up the Tourmalet

I agree that's it's not a lot to show for a 41 year old dude, self-titled "the second best climber in the world".

Having said that he was absolutely fantastic on the Sierra Road climb last year in the ToC.

The Tourmalet is all i remember, but there is a huge difference between hanging on and doing some hard domestic work on a climb.

And in ToC his worst rival was a squirrel in the side of the road. Luckily for Horner, this being the US, it was shot in the face half way up the climb.

The last paragraf is perhaps not meant as serious as the first :O)

 

[airstream]

A domestic shouldn't necessarily drop other big guns to be considered a good domestic. Even then in 2007 Horny was falling behind quite late when there weree about 15-20 guys in the main pack. The presence of a helper in the group itself is a good psychological bit of a help for a leader because he is not isolated and always feels he won't be exposed say, god forbid, in the case of puncture or mechanical. In 2010 Horner towed Lance to Morzine-Avoriaz, and, hence, all subsequent considerations don't make sense because later Armstrong just didn't need one's special assistance.

 

[cineteq]

"My back is fine"

RSNT has zero class

Horner said he learned about his exclusion from the RadioShack Tour team from his wife, who read it on the Internet and called him while he was out training. He added that as of Monday evening, he had not yet spoken with anyone from RadioShack team management. The last time he spoke with team manager Johan Bruyneel, Horner said, was a month earlier in Santa Rosa, California, when Bruyneel briefly visited the team prior to the start of the Amgen Tour.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/06/news/horner-on-tour-selection-snub-my-back-is-fine_223336

 

[webvan]

This is getting ugly...clearly someone doesn't want him over there, the Schlecks, Kloden ?

“I’ve had great results this year. I was top 10 at the Tour of the Basque Country, and I was third on the hardest climbing stage at Basque,” Horner said. “I was second overall at Tirreno, and in California I was clearly one of the best riders. I know I had a bad time trial; I was there, I remember it well. But if you look at the Mount Baldy stage, it was epic, there were three teams destroyed chasing me, I had a one-minute lead at the bottom of the Baldy climb and only four guys caught me by the finish.

Can't find anything inaccurate in that statement.

 

[JimPanzen]

RSNT has zero class

Horner said he learned about his exclusion from the RadioShack Tour team from his wife, who read it on the Internet and called him while he was out training. He added that as of Monday evening, he had not yet spoken with anyone from RadioShack team management. The last time he spoke with team manager Johan Bruyneel, Horner said, was a month earlier in Santa Rosa, California, when Bruyneel briefly visited the team prior to the start of the Amgen Tour.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/06/news/horner-on-tour-selection-snub-my-back-is-fine_223336

I just wanted to post the link to the article.

What the hell is wrong with that team? It seems that there's no professionalism at all, wether in racing itself nor in communication or planning. The fact that Horner didn't speak to Bruyneel the whole last month says a lot. Given this fact, I wonder why he thought he would be selected for the Tour, since Bruyneel usually might want to stay in touch with his potential riders and check on their preparation prior to the race.

 

[RHRH19861986]

Looks like this is his last year with RSNT then...

I hope we´ll see him at least riding in a squad like Unitedhealthcare or s.th. like that next year, given his biological age of 25 and his unique personality, which makes him just the opposite person to someone like Klöden is.

I also think you can´t compare today´s Bruyneel to the Bruyneel of 1999-2005. He won´t write history by anything he does nowadays anyways, and he doesn´t have a LA anymore.

 

[Publicus]

RSNT has zero class

Horner said he learned about his exclusion from the RadioShack Tour team from his wife, who read it on the Internet and called him while he was out training. He added that as of Monday evening, he had not yet spoken with anyone from RadioShack team management. The last time he spoke with team manager Johan Bruyneel, Horner said, was a month earlier in Santa Rosa, California, when Bruyneel briefly visited the team prior to the start of the Amgen Tour.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/06/news/horner-on-tour-selection-snub-my-back-is-fine_223336

Classy. Very classy.

 

[Anonymous]

Ssshhhhh! Don't go telling all the secrets, you're supposed to uphold the forum guidelines and put Radioshack down at every turn. Look at all the other comments...they're all confused as to Horner absence, best not disturb their perceived notions of why Horner is really missing. Telling people what's really going on behind the scenes makes you look like a supporter!

No, but seriously, this is right. Horner and a number of the current squad don't get on. Scott SoCal said team leadership issues. Dude, this is the leadership saying a divisive rider won't be going. Lance on the team, yeah Horner goes. Evans, no problems either. Chris works for them. Anyone else...nope. He works for Chris Horner, the second best climber in the world! The Hog has it right, not sending Horner is a stroke of genius, especially when there a number of guys who will help Andy Schleck or Kloden without question. Gerdemann, Fuglsand and Monfort are those selfless guys.

The team will probably have Andreas in a floater role. If Andy falters, they can switch to him on GC. If Andy is going ballistic, super domestique role is his.

That's funny. Horner is probably the most selfless rider you have ever had the privilege of watching race.

This is likely a political move. When I said leadership I'm talking Becca and Bruyneel. I stand by that.

Also, they won't win a road stage, probably won't win a single stage, will struggle for a top 5 in GC and probably have their best chance with a team GC.

Bruyneel will spin this to be a big deal.

 

[BillytheKid]

This is getting ugly...clearly someone doesn't want him over there, the Schlecks, Kloden ?



Can't find anything inaccurate in that statement.

The Schlecks. He is a rider very like them as climbers and it does make some sense that with Klöden also, there would not be room for him on this team at the Tour. I hope he gets to ride the Vuelta, but it gets zero coverage in the U.S.

His wife having to read about in the press is pretty cold. The Schlecks and Johan are winning more fans all the time.

 

[veganrob]

That's funny. Horner is probably the most selfless rider you have ever had the privilege of watching race.

This is likely a political move. When I said leadership I'm talking Becca and Bruyneel. I stand by that.

Also, they won't win a road stage, probably won't win a single stage, will struggle for a top 5 in GC and probably have their best chance with a team GC.

Bruyneel will spin this to be a big deal.

Scott, you no doubt know more of Chris Horner than me, but too often Horner's comments appear to be whining and self promoting. It still is a team sport in an era of me first athletes of course. Perhaps Chris would come off better saying how disappointed he was to not make the TdF team but will be ready for the next race whatever it may be.

Maybe.

 

[roundabout]

Sure, after Fränk was made to ride the Giro, they got their influence back and now decide who rides where.

 

[theyoungest]

What a team. Do they have any internal communication whatsoever?

 

[joe1265]

regardless of how poorly the Schlecks perform, in the end it's really Luxembourg-y money, so they will get what they want, which is to not have a potential rival like Horner on the team.