A couple weeks ago there was thread discussing Chris Horner and why he isnt racing in Europe. In this months Velonews that same question was asked and he said he hasnt had any offers. He was dissappointed that others where getting contracts and he wasnt. Bummer!
There was a good article about him, he basically manages the team, securing sponsors, finding riders, teaching them tactics… etc… His success is more impressive when you find out that he is riding with a less experienced team.
I think he also has a bad reputation in Europe. He, in fact, raced for a Euro team a few years ago and was sick and/or injured most of the time. When his contract was up he came back to the US and has been killing everyone since.
Chris wants to go back to europe, but he wants to do it on his own terms, and that isn’t likely to happen. CH is a really big fish in the US, and he was a good domestique in Europe - maybe very good. BUT there is a glut of good riders in the peloton these days. When a rider like Beloki or Julich is contractless in August - guys who have podiumed at the tour - the team directors have all the cards.
CH has gone on record as saying he will go to Europe at the drop of a hat, but he won’t starve to do it (wife, kids, you know - a life…) Why buy that if you are a team director, when you can get the next belorusian farmboy for nothing?
Weird as it may sound, Chris also doesn’t have any notable INTERNATIONAL results. Danielson won Lankawi last year, and now he’s in the big dance (he’s also much younger than Chris.) The European powers that be don’t tend to read a lot into Amercan results at home.
The other thing about Chris is he’s a generalist - he’s good at everything. This makes him a great GC rider, but if you are putting together a team for an existing GC guy, you usually aren’t looking for generalists, you are looking for a couple of great climbers, a sprinter, a lead out guy or 2, and a couple of big roleurs. You aren’t going to hire someone who basically does what your existing GC guy does - it’s like a basketball team; how many point guards do you need? Adding another can actually hurt your team - who gets the ball in the crunch?
Horner is amazing - a truly incredible rider; I have seen him do some spectacular rides. I hope he gets another shot at Europe, but I just don’t see it happening - unless he gets picked for Athens, and kicks some serious ass there.
MH
Lance’s first season, actually try first race, I think it was San Sebastian(?). A late season race, post Olympics, and he got last. Zurich, not too long after…2nd? Is that right? But to call 1993, his true rookie season, a “butt kicking” is not really a good description. Didn’t he win some important race that year? A tour stage too? I think that he could have been one of those “exceptions” even though he was never truly considered an all arounder at the time.
Yeah I would agree, maybe his first pro-race in the 1992 San Sebastian, but his first full season, 1993 if I am correct, he won a tour stage, winner of tour du point, “His 10 titles that year included 1993 World Champion, U.S. PRO Champion…”.
I don’t know if that classifies as a butt kicking…not too shabby for someone new to the peloton
Weird as it may sound, Chris also doesn’t have any notable INTERNATIONAL results. Danielson won Lankawi last year, and now he’s in the big dance (he’s also much younger than Chris.) The European powers that be don’t tend to read a lot into Amercan results at home.
Horner has won Langkawi as well.
yes, but Langkawi got a big bump in points/prestige/euro presence after Horner won it (2000.) It’s a much bigger deal now than it was then - it was a training race in 2000, now it’s the second biggest purse in the world.
MH
The article said that Horner won Langkwai twice.