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When is the smackdown on Chris Horner?

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May 26, 2010
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The GCW said:
Perhaps You know more about Horner's advantages than Horner Himself. I'm not cynical.

Certainly, Horner may reduce His financial expectations and that will help. Certainly, Horner may reduce His chatter and that could help too.

But make no mistake, Horner is an exciting racer. Anybody who loves bicycle racing wants Horner in the race.

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The, guilty until proven innocent, concept, is not conducive to the fan's of cycle racing interests.

The current system is not perfect and may never become perfect; it is dynamic. But it is the system.

If people (spectators) want to pronounce certain racers guilty with out proof, until they prove themselves innocent... spectating would become slim.

They are all suspect.

As a spectator, You are suspect, too.

Only if you let the likes of Horner away with his doping!
 
Benotti69 said:
Only if you let the likes of Horner away with his doping!

The bar has now been set lower. Tour of Denmark, Christina Watches?

Chris Horner’s search for a contract for 2014 could potentially see the rider sign for a Danish Continental team, with the Christina Watches squad confirming an interest in, plus contact with, the Vuelta a España winner.

“It is a dialogue that has been going on for a few days, and I have expressed that we are quite interested,” the team’s managing director Claus Hembo confirmed to BT.

“First and foremost, we are of course honoured. It is the proof that we have a certain image internationally. The deadline, of course, is that he can write another contract in ten minutes. So I see it more a question about first come, first served. We are not the only ones who are interested in being able to buy him.”

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1...nsor-to-make-deal-possible.aspx#ixzz2pRDqmRb7
 
What a giant screw-up by Horner's agent. 1.5M euros for two years was delusional. Even the reduced price of 750K was pushing it. By the time they asked for the cut rate price, the number of teams that had that kind of money for a new signing was small. He may end up making less salary than he did this year.

He won't be able to ride anything of significance on a Continental team. Maybe he should devote his energies to promoting a gran fondo that will provide income after he retires.
 
BroDeal said:
What a giant screw-up by Horner's agent. 1.5M euros for two years was delusional. Even the reduced price of 750K was pushing it. By the time they asked for the cut rate price, the number of teams that had that kind of money for a new signing was small. He may end up making less salary than he did this year.

He won't be able to ride anything of significance on a Continental team. Maybe he should devote his energies to promoting a gran fondo that will provide income after he retires.

Do we know the agent?
 
if worst happens, remember that juanjo cobo still found a team and in world tour nonetheless. of course just 100.000 a year...anyway i think he should sign for europcar for little money but with bonuses for every big win. it is world tour and he he can pick his races
 
jens_attacks said:
if worst happens, remember that juanjo cobo still found a team and in world tour nonetheless. of course just 100.000 a year...anyway i think he should sign for europcar for little money but with bonuses for every big win. it is world tour and he he can pick his races

If Horner has confidence he can ride at a very high level then that would be a good plan. It would also cost the team very little money. Most of the cost would be insurance policies to pay bonuses.

I would not be surprised if Horner was hoping to score a big contract then coast safely into retirement without taking any risk of sullying his Vuelta win by getting caught.

It is pretty bad when even United Healthcare turns him down. That team really wants to go to a GT and Horner maybe have been the ticket to get there. I wonder how much he asked for.
 
Jan 20, 2013
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Whatever happens it's certain that his age isn't what scares the teams away. If his 2014 is just as successful it would only hurt his image - oh the paradox of doping in cycling...!

But I could not imagine that he would actually end up with Christina Watches after winning the Giro. The fiasco of that speaks volumes of his do-not-touch status.
 
I do not think doping had much to do with it. Frank Schleck has a ride. Teams are chock full of suspicious riders. Horner misjudged his market value. Probably a large stretch of negotiating time passed him by when he thought he had a fat contract from Alonso's new team. When that fell apart, there were not many teams with an opening that could pay him anywhere near what he wanted.
 
“What we are currently lacking, in order to get him, is a sponsor for approximately one and a half million [Danish Krone – ed., approximately 200,000 euro or 273,000 US dollars]. That is not an expression of what he should have in salary, [but rather] what we need.”

Read more: http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1...nsor-to-make-deal-possible.aspx#ixzz2pTSxr9wh

It sounds like Chris doesn't bring any of his own money to the deal. When you see those lower-budget team with three and four titles jammed together, that's a bunch of riders bringing their own money to a team.

Leave aside the unlikely situation that he was clean for his grand tour podium, the way pro cycling seems to work is by September, most budget for riders is settled with only slots to fill and here comes Horner like a bolt of lightning winning the Vuelta.

I too wonder if Horner was "too hot" for the UCI's highest team tier, like Rassmussen and even Landis. For some reason some guys are banished to domestic circuits like Mancebo in the U.S.
 
Jan 20, 2013
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"I'm sorry there isn't a team willing to pay me what I'm worth. I'm sorry you can't dream big. I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles"

- Horner living room speech 2014
 
BroDeal said:
I do not think doping had much to do with it. Frank Schleck has a ride. Teams are chock full of suspicious riders. Horner misjudged his market value. Probably a large stretch of negotiating time passed him by when he thought he had a fat contract from Alonso's new team. When that fell apart, there were not many teams with an opening that could pay him anywhere near what he wanted.
I think the difference is that Fränk already served his ban and he's not going to further damage your image, so you know exactly what you're getting into and it's safe to say the worst is over. Meanwhile, Horner is (perceived as) a ticking bomb.
 

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