R.E.S.P.E.C.T. to Chris Horner

[Red Rick]

All those comments on the first page, they have to be 100% sarcastic, I just can't see it being serious

 

[Unkown]

All those comments on the first page, they have to be 100% sarcastic, I just can't see it being serious

I know eh, its hilarious reading those comments and then reading what everyone is saying about today. Totally classic

 

[jaylew]

Why? Anyway, good ride by him today. I just hope when he retires he becomes a commentator. The guy just loves to talk about racing and tactics. His interviews are always interesting.

 

[jaylew]

All those comments on the first page, they have to be 100% sarcastic, I just can't see it being serious

Why? Anyway, good ride by him today. I just hope when he retires he becomes a commentator. The guy just loves to talk about racing and tactics. His interviews are always interesting.

 

[Oldman]

Why? Anyway, good ride by him today. I just hope when he retires he becomes a commentator. The guy just loves to talk about racing and tactics. His interviews are always interesting.

We could forget about Bob Roll, then. Right? That would be a positive thing.

 

[movingtarget]

We could forget about Bob Roll, then. Right? That would be a positive thing.

His interviews are never dull. Likeable guy.

 

[SKSemtex]

You make no sense at all. By your definition Contador has no talent. What you are talking about is charisma and integrity and some winners do have it. I see Horner as a guy who loves his sport and what he does and most people agree that if he had more opportunities when he was younger he would have been more successful and "less talented ?" I would say that Horner is happy even without winning but still likes to win. Jens Voight is similar. Horner is a very likeable guy. I have never seen one interview with him that was less than interesting.

This. I tried to read several times the Wallace post but my brain capacity is probably not good enough to understand one single sentence there.
By that logic Cav, Sagan or even Bolt are not talented enough. WTF.

 

[Martin]

I thought I'd find this thread only in a clinic
At 40, men start to be happy to hold their urine, they do not start winning grand tours.
Jeannie Longo, watch this guy!

 

[perico]

I would not argue any of those guys were more naturally talented than Hampsten but I think Horner could have beaten him on that course anyway. As for Julich, Lance (Levi); they all came from the same chemistry set so their credentials are very skewwed to me. Racing that event alongside some of the US Natz team members who were *****in' about who was getting the "support" was enlightening. There was a pretty clear divide emerging about that time between those stepping up to Euro techniques and those that weren't. Horner seemed to be for real at that time and destined for a good career.

Old comment, but felt I should respond. It's pretty well established now that the Motorola squad's program started after the 1994 team. Julich and Lance were both extremely gifted natural talents. In regards to Lance, he never would've been 7 time TDF winner without chemistry, but would've still been a good rider. Julich, OTOH, "could've been a contender" in a perfect world. Very talented guy.

Horner had that kind of talent as well.

 

[IndianCyclist]

In the mix with Lemond, Hampsten, Thurlow (probably missing a few) as one of the very best road cyclists the US has ever produced.

Lemond is one of the Greats of Cycling. Hampsten also is a Giro winner. Compared to that Horner is average. Though what he is doing at his age is wondrous.

 

[Oldman]

Old comment, but felt I should respond. It's pretty well established now that the Motorola squad's program started after the 1994 team. Julich and Lance were both extremely gifted natural talents. In regards to Lance, he never would've been 7 time TDF winner without chemistry, but would've still been a good rider. Julich, OTOH, "could've been a contender" in a perfect world. Very talented guy.

Horner had that kind of talent as well.

USA Cycling had these guys directed to enhancements prior to their pro career. Motorola was a more organized approach but the influence was there.

 

[murali]

i think this is a place where a DB arguement is useful. world is fairer, so you can see naturally talented guys winning again.

clinic material or not, horner showed initiative in both the stages he won. He won, because others were not keen on taking the stage.

Horner deserves credit.

 

[TomasC]

This. I tried to read several times the Wallace post but my brain capacity is probably not good enough to understand one single sentence there.
By that logic Cav, Sagan or even Bolt are not talented enough. WTF.

Oh, come on. Miserable, bloody Romans. No sense of humour.
One of the best post ever, that one.
Maybe you're lacking talent

 

[rhubroma]

With all due respect Hitch, I think you're missing the point here. Levi, Julich and other Americans have all won some races in Europe. That disqualifies them as being "talented" which is totally different from having results. Talent is the opposite of winning, it amounts to a kind of moral and spiritual quality, that ineffable how do you say it, je ne sais quoi, which certain riders have, and which marks them as a breed apart. Hinault didn't have it, Indurain didn't have--maybe no European rider has ever it it. But you know it when you see it. It's that gleam in the eye Horner has, as the sunlight reflects off his head, it's a grandeur of spirit which embiggens his small stature and palmares, it goes beyond winning, and the sport itself. It is "Talent," which only shows itself to those who know how to see beyond the shallow trappings of success lesser mortals value. As Eddy M once said, "Winners never quit, and real winners never really win." Or something like that.

Everything is asthetic, though we don't contemplate that in the modern world, becuase it is all based on romanticism. When will we all begin to interpret this seriously?

In the final analasys what "are real winners?"

 

[Christian]

Recently I have been a bit put off by Jens Voigt's showmanship. I love him, I really do, and I think he is a genuine guy and doesn't just put up an act. But he rides his image pretty hard and lets it be commercialized by Trek (and why shouldn't he), so that it comes to the point where he sometimes looks like a parody of himself. Yes, "shut up, legs" is a great one-liner, but it's also possible to over-use it, and do you have to print it on T-shirts, on your bike, etc? And do you have to ride an ITT one-handed while giving out high-fives to the spectators? Sometimes it feels like Jens Voigt is one of those former tennis stars on the master's tour, playing fixed show matches.

Of course most of the time he is still a great rider. Like when he won his stage in California, or when he went all in for Bakelants in the Tour stage to Lyon, probably his last breakaway in his last Tour, yet he gives everything for a young team mate, no questions asked. That shows he is still a professional, and a great one at that.

But now watching Chris Horner perform I can't help but feel that he is the better Jens Voigt, except Jens knows how to market it well and Horner doesn't make a big deal out of it. I can't see any other reason why Voigt would get a contract and not Horner - both have had clinic implications and it's not like that's something that Trek cares too much about anyways (see F. Schleck).

Horner is a hard man, he carried an injured rider plus his bike to the finish line in a TT, he finished a stage which such a bad concussion that he couldn't even remember how he got to the finish. He says hilarious stuff and gives funny interviews in a mixture of 3 foreign languages. But when he's not riding he doesn't post on twitter all the time or writes columns or goes to sponsor events. He just trains and then shows up and races to win. We may smile at his claims for Vuelta victory, but I appreciate how absolutely serious he is about it: he is a racer, he races to win.

Plus now when we saw him in the interviews I am amazed by how he can read the race and explain it after. If he does not find a new team I think a DS position, maybe in the US domestic or U23 scene would fit him perfectly. And when he speaks, he looks and sounds as excited as a 20 year-old winning his first race. It's amazing how youthful he still seems.

Cheers Chris, thanks for putting up this great show and I hope to see you still racing next year!

 

[murali]

i am pretty sure he is trying for a DS post next year. otherwise we should have heard of a contract by the rest day.

 

[*G*K*S*]

Recently I have been a bit put off by Jens Voigt's showmanship. I love him, I really do, and I think he is a genuine guy and doesn't just put up an act. But he rides his image pretty hard and lets it be commercialized by Trek (and why shouldn't he), so that it comes to the point where he sometimes looks like a parody of himself. Yes, "shut up, legs" is a great one-liner, but it's also possible to over-use it, and do you have to print it on T-shirts, on your bike, etc? And do you have to ride an ITT one-handed while giving out high-fives to the spectators? Sometimes it feels like Jens Voigt is one of those former tennis stars on the master's tour, playing fixed show matches.

Of course most of the time he is still a great rider. Like when he won his stage in California, or when he went all in for Bakelants in the Tour stage to Lyon, probably his last breakaway in his last Tour, yet he gives everything for a young team mate, no questions asked. That shows he is still a professional, and a great one at that.

But now watching Chris Horner perform I can't help but feel that he is the better Jens Voigt, except Jens knows how to market it well and Horner doesn't make a big deal out of it. I can't see any other reason why Voigt would get a contract and not Horner - both have had clinic implications and it's not like that's something that Trek cares too much about anyways (see F. Schleck).

Horner is a hard man, he carried an injured rider plus his bike to the finish line in a TT, he finished a stage which such a bad concussion that he couldn't even remember how he got to the finish. He says hilarious stuff and gives funny interviews in a mixture of 3 foreign languages. But when he's not riding he doesn't post on twitter all the time or writes columns or goes to sponsor events. He just trains and then shows up and races to win. We may smile at his claims for Vuelta victory, but I appreciate how absolutely serious he is about it: he is a racer, he races to win.

Plus now when we saw him in the interviews I am amazed by how he can read the race and explain it after. If he does not find a new team I think a DS position, maybe in the US domestic or U23 scene would fit him perfectly. And when he speaks, he looks and sounds as excited as a 20 year-old winning his first race. It's amazing how youthful he still seems.

Cheers Chris, thanks for putting up this great show and I hope to see you still racing next year!

Great post Christian. We need more Horner type of riders in the peloton. It cracks me up when everyone watching wants to see attacks and exciting racing, and then when it happens with a rider like Horner (outside the last km), the same posters question what's going on. And it's always clinic related. Geeez, just maybe the guy is in the shape of his life and riding hard. Get over it! all of you clean, goody two shoes weekend warriors.

 

[BroDeal]

i am pretty sure he is trying for a DS post next year. otherwise we should have heard of a contract by the rest day.

He wants to ride. The points he is accumulating will make teams wants to hire him just for those points.

 

[Angliru]

In no way do I think he's ready to retire. I could see Garmin, Greenedge or BMC taking a chance on him. He's certainly worth the investment even at his advance years if only for the experience and savvy that he would bring in addition to the points he will have accumulated by seasons end.

 

[Netserk]

I certainly couldn't see him get a contract with Garmin. That will simply never happen.

 

[ElChingon]

If he tried he could get McDonalds to come on as a secondary sponsor at the very least, or some other burger place wanting some advert time over in Europe.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

If he tried he could get McDonalds to come on as a secondary sponsor at the very least, or some other burger place wanting some advert time over in Europe.

McDonalds doesn't need advertising in Europe. Ever walked into one in Paris? Packed to the hilt and one has 2 stories. Ridiculous.

I hate McDonalds.

 

[Rollthedice]

In no way do I think he's ready to retire. I could see Garmin, Greenedge or BMC taking a chance on him. He's certainly worth the investment even at his advance years if only for the experience and savvy that he would bring in addition to the points he will have accumulated by seasons end.

He said it in an interview on Eurosport. He wants to ride for another 3-5 years

 

[Samson777]

He said it in an interview on Eurosport. He wants to ride for another 3-5 years

Haha In that case he should go for a FDJ comeback and a 3 year contract.. They could use his points.

 

[Boeing]

If he tried he could get McDonalds to come on as a secondary sponsor at the very least, or some other burger place wanting some advert time over in Europe.

Kind of like Liz Hatch?