Road Bike Racing - Chris Horner what a great rider

I don't want to take away from him doing his job BUT so many DONT!!! I wish him the best next year....

"I could have ridden for my own result and shopped that around, but I rode for Cadel because that was what was asked of me and expected of me. I did what was best for the team, because that's what they paid me to do"

A great rider who disappears into the desert in New Mexico for a weeks periodically and asks friends to carry packages across borders for him. Doesn't sound like any other good climbers who almost won the tour this year.

A great rider who disappears into the desert in New Mexico for a weeks periodically and asks friends to carry packages across borders for him. Doesn't sound like any other good climbers who almost won the tour this year.

Hey, quit starting rumors. :mad:

Rode with him this past season, and he was super friendly. Also, super fast.

Rode with him this past season, and he was super friendly. Also, super fast.

He rode past me in Feb - he's super fast. And low.

cdr

A great rider who disappears into the desert in New Mexico for a weeks periodically and asks friends to carry packages across borders for him. Doesn't sound like any other good climbers who almost won the tour this year.

Those packages were cheeseburgers.

Rode with him this past season, and he was super friendly. Also, super fast.

He's also one of the most eloquent riders in the pro peloton, my hope is when he retires he'll start commentating on races.

His daily video interview/diaries on VeloNews during the TdF made the whole thing worth paying attention to. Obviously a guy who loves what he's doing, though he said it was getting hard to be away from his kids in the States. I can see him becoming a DS for a US domestic team in the future and being really good at it.

Has he found a team for 2008, yet? I hope so. He deserves a chance to snag a stage in a grand tour or in a Classic.

Horner proves that being bald and charismatic is not mutually exclusive in cycling (Zoetemelk and Leipheimer should take note).

His is an amazing story, really.
I'm begging him to let me write it.

Has he found a team for 2008, yet? I hope so. He deserves a chance to snag a stage in a grand tour or in a Classic.

Astana

http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/13695.0.html

Astana

http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/13695.0.html

Yeah, that's going to work out well... :rolleyes:


Team Astana's four Swiss riders still haven't had their salary paid since September, nor have presumably their team-mates from other lands. According to the Swiss newspaper Blick, Danijal Achmetov, of the consortium sponsoring the team, did not transfer the approximately 2.4 million euro due on September 30. The International Cycling Union (UCI) has indicated that the team's future license may be endangered.

Blick spoke with two of the Swiss riders. "It's worse for my younger colleagues, who earn less than I do," stated Gregory Rast. "It's time that we got some money," Michael Schär added.

The money was due to be transferred to Zeus, Marc Biver's firm, which ran the 2007 team. The team is sponsored by a consortium of eight large Kazakh firms, and according to Blick, is led by Achmetov, who is also the country's defence minister. The sponsors have a contract with Zeus to fund it with 12 million euro annually. However, the sponsor is breaking with Biver, and has hired Johan Bruyneel to take over the team in 2008.

Meanwhile, Biver must pay his 58 employees, which he could do if he could get hold of the 2.5 million euro bank guarantee held by the UCI. Fourteen Astana riders – but not the eight Kazakh riders – have asked the UCI to release the money.

"Our attorneys are working on it. I think that Astana has to fulfil all of its 2007 obligations if it wants to get a license for 2008," UCI ProTour President Alain Rumpf explained. He said that Achmetov must act. "As license holder he is obligated."

Biver was doubtful, though. "Achmetov stopped the payments. He will continue to oppose the release of the bank guarantee."

The team's mechanics are taking things into their own hands by selling off bikes and other equipment in order to get some money.

Yeah, that's going to work out well... :rolleyes:
Yeah, well. Seems like the management has changed a smidgen in the last month or so.

Bruyneel has said several times, in public, that Astana is going to pay all the back wages.

I have a man-crush on CH. He comes to Sactown occasionally and schools all the local fast guys. Super down to earth: chats with the 40-year old Cat 5's just like one of the guys. I say good luck to him.

His is an amazing story, really.
I'm begging him to let me write it.

Now I am interested. What is his story? I suppose I could google him and find out, but it is more fun to read it on BF.

Now I am interested. What is his story? I suppose I could google him and find out, but it is more fun to read it on BF.

Started as a very good US based racer.
Went to Europe (FDJeux) for 3 years and got fat.
Came back to the US to be the dominant domestic rider.
Went back to Europe and played the big leagues like he was born to.