I have no doubt you will adopt whatever mental gymnastics are required to argue that he was not a contender in this race even if he should win it.

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

awesome

Not retrain why you feel the need to take personal pot-shots, but whatever floats your boat.....

As a rough comparison, did Ritchie Porte "contend" this year's TdF? I wouldn't say he did, even though he was sitting 2nd at roughly the same point of the race as the Vuelta is now.

Like I said....3 week race. Long way to go.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

Porte was not a contender because that was not his role. He could have contended, but didn't. In a footrace we don't usually call the rabbit a contender even if they're leading at the halfway point. It's not a question of ability, it's a question of intentions.

Totally missed the point.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

1) Porte's role was ALWAYS domestique. Horner is the undisputed team leader.
2) Vuelta is a COMPLETELY different race than the TdF. It's much more climber oriented, particularly this year's edition.
3) Horner has finished 10th (after dragging around LA the first half of the race) and 13th in previous TdF, so he's not a slouch in 3 week races. His usual problem has been staying upright - he's crashed out more often than not.

Yes it's early, but if he doesn't lose much time in the TT, can stay uptight, can mark Nibali and Rodriguez through the Pyrenees, he stands a really good chance when they get to the Angliru, a climb that plays into his wheelhouse. I don't think this race will be decided until the penultimate day.

No, he is widely believed to be Rider #15 from the USADA Reasoned Decision.

I'm not too up on all that, but if they had evidence of him doping then why was he allowed to go to the Olympics and not suspended?

For the old guys who remember back then, Horner dominated the US scene for a good while. Saying that "he couldn't make it Europe" isn't true. He had the talent, but there were "cultural issues"... which was thought by some to mean that he didn't want to dope.

Regarding his GT finishes... he has consistently finished damn high in the TdF for someone who takes their domestique duties seriously... which means you support your GC man, and your placing is an incidental result of being with him on the major climbs.

I've always liked Horner... he is tough and talented and speaks his mind. I expect that everyone is doping, but Horner would have to be on the "less likely" list IMO.

How about Spartacus wiping up the middle of the course with Martin like a used chamois.

My guess would be that Martin had an intelligent pacing strategy that fell apart in the final Ks of the stage when he blew up big time from fatigue. Hard to know what you can do in the middle of the grand tour when you did a 112 mile TT a few days ago!

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

That was impressive for sure...I can't believe he had the control to pace it that slow in the beginning and give up that much time....savvy!

Pretty clear he changed his mind about the cultural issues from the way he cried on camera when Lance had a bad day during his come back.

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

Check that, newsfeed says the initial time check was wrong....Cancellara was faster across the board.

AHA!
So the time trialists DO know what they are doing, haha

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

Did Horner have a bottle in his cage at the start and ditch it when it was empty or did he just ride that TT with an empty cage on his frame?

EDIT: Just saw on the recap he did start with the water bottle.

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Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
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I was hoping Horner would hold on to the lead for a while

I like the comment someone left on liveupdateguy.com about Horner...he has been in and out of the Red more that IBM

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All I Wanted Was A Pepsi, Just One Pepsi

Team Zoot, Team Zoot Mid-Atlantic

lot of people lost bottles on the bumps early in the TT.

Horner needs to learn to TT man!

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

Actually probably good for Horner to lose it again. Now pressure is on Nibali and Astana to defend. Horner is tied on time with Valverde @ 46 sec. 6 summit finishes left plus time bonuses means race is still pretty wide open for the top 4. Big loser today was Rodriguez.

did u read that Niballi has a swollen face cause a wasp?

I tho about "The Secret Race" right away...

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The entire event (IM) is like "death by 1000 cuts" and the best race is minimizing all those cuts and losing less blood than the other guy. - Dev

No, Andy Schleck needs to learn to TT, Horner needed to learn to TT about 15 years ago :)

>No, Andy Schleck needs to learn to TT

Andy needs to learn to carry 6 bottles at once!

SO TRUE!!!

Though I don't think his fragile body or ego could handle it!

http://www.youtube.com/...aETsuCOkJ0H_GAztWt0Q

Gotta have pretty big set of nuts to turn over that chainring

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When all is said and done. More is usually said than done
Ba Ba Booey

Horner needs to learn to TT man!

Maybe Pozzovivo can give him lessons. Has he ever done well in a TT before?

Would be awesome to get a few before/after shots of him on the bike, see if he fixed his position

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

Pozzovivo weighs 115 lbs. He has had some good climbing results... but I look at his bike and position and I'm thinking if he can lay down enough power to ride that kind of TT, he may do something in the mountains yet.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/...age-11/photos/278541