# Horner without a contract for 2015



## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

Well here we go again. There is an article on cycling news. Anyway I do not know what Horner is worth or who would be interested in him but I am a Horner fan. I guess I wish he could sign with an American Team and place his focus on the Amgen Tour, Tour of Utah and Colorado. Maybe Team Jamis-Hagens Bermin. I follow that team as a local guy Ben Jaques Maynes is on it. (I do not know the guy but he is all over STRAVA). I am sure they could not begin to pay Horner what he would be asking but it would be cool to see him out there on an American team again for a few years. But you know how it is, you just have to wait and see how it turns out.

Horner still without a contract for 2015 | Cyclingnews.com


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## 32and3cross (Feb 28, 2005)

BikeLayne said:


> Well here we go again. There is an article on cycling news. Anyway I do not know what Horner is worth or who would be interested in him but I am a Horner fan. I guess I wish he could sign with an American Team and place his focus on the Amgen Tour, Tour of Utah and Colorado. Maybe Team Jamis-Hagens Bermin. I follow that team as a local guy Ben Jaques Maynes is on it. (I do not know the guy but he is all over STRAVA). I am sure they could not begin to pay Horner what he would be asking but it would be cool to see him out there on an American team again for a few years. But you know how it is, you just have to wait and see how it turns out.
> 
> Horner still without a contract for 2015 | Cyclingnews.com


Not to get this moved, but no team like Jamis is likely to hire him as no one believes he was/is clean. I say that having met Chris several times and actually finding him a nice/fun guy to talk to.


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## Retro Grouch (Apr 30, 2002)

Chris Horner has enjoyed a long a successful career. Although he is still competitive in the pro ranks, it might be time to close this chapter in his life. Chris is an intelligent guy with a good head for racing, but unfortunately time is not on his side when it comes to keeping the old body going year after year. 

Hopefully Horner will decide to retire from competition and devote his talents to development of the sport and mentoring new talent. Chris is also articulate, and would make an excellent cycling commentator. 

I will hate to see him leave the professional racing, but it's better than watching a rider languish way past his prime


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## JSR (Feb 27, 2006)

Horner is still competitive - if he can stay healthy. He says he wants to ride Grand Tours, which means he'll most likely be in ProTeam livery next year.

He has shown himself to be a patient negotiator. He'll get what the market will bear, although it may take a while. Hopefully it won't take as long as last year!


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

Retro Grouch said:


> ...I will hate to see him leave the professional racing, but it's better than watching a rider languish way past his prime.


I have no issue with riders go past their prime. Bike racing is, after all, nothing but entertainment, and if it adds a bit of suspense, drama, sadness, why not?


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## burgrat (Nov 18, 2005)

I think he should look into moving on to the broadcast booth. He really is a personable guy and I think he would be very good at that. 
Or he and guys like Jens could form some kind of senior league and ride along with the pro caravan on big old trikes like the Shriners do at parades, handing out goodies and signing autographs.


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## Jwiffle (Mar 18, 2005)

32and3cross said:


> Not to get this moved, but no team like Jamis is likely to hire him as no one believes he was/is clean. I say that having met Chris several times and actually finding him a nice/fun guy to talk to.


I doubt that has much, if anything, to do with it. He's 42 and didn't show much this year due to injury and illness. His age is his limiting factor, not any he-said she-said about possible doping.


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

Jwiffle said:


> I doubt that has much, if anything, to do with it. He's 42 and didn't show much this year due to injury and illness. His age is his limiting factor, not any he-said she-said about possible doping.


 I agree with you. His age plus he did not have a very good year. Now he is another year older and that Grand Tour victory is not so fresh in everyone's mind as it was. However I hope he gets a contract again somewhere. I would like to see him in the Amgen tour this year. I like that race because it they usually have a stage in my area and I can go check it out.


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## fast ferd (Jan 30, 2009)

Horner always impressed me, on or off the bike. Almost twenty years ago on one of the evening Rose Bowl 10-lap circuit rides, he went out with a few other riders (Thurlow Rogers among them) on an early breakaway. They nearly lapped us on the 3.1 mile course, which we finished in about 1:07. Who knew he would enjoy such a long career in racing. Fit as ever.


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

I think there will be more riders racing into their 40's. Just today Jen's will attempt the hour record at 43. He stands a good chance of breaking the record according to Eddy Mercyx. That bike he is riding is really cool to. I love the wheels which are very fitting for the occasion.


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## 32and3cross (Feb 28, 2005)

Jwiffle said:


> I doubt that has much, if anything, to do with it. He's 42 and didn't show much this year due to injury and illness. His age is his limiting factor, not any he-said she-said about possible doping.


Yeah that's exactly why Levi didn't get a ride dispite offering to ride for free.


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## Jwiffle (Mar 18, 2005)

32and3cross said:


> Yeah that's exactly why Levi didn't get a ride dispite offering to ride for free.


Except Levi's doping wasn't speculation, since he admitted to it. Age was definitely a factor in his inability to find A team, as well.


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## 32and3cross (Feb 28, 2005)

Jwiffle said:


> Except Levi's doping wasn't speculation, since he admitted to it. Age was definitely a factor in his inability to find A team, as well.


Yep and behind the scenes its not viewed as speculation by a lot of people right or wrong. That's the reason a lot of the domestic teams pride themselves as not hiring anyone with shady pasts would not touch him even if he were willing to take the pay cut (which he is not dude is know to be about the money).


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

32and3cross said:


> Not to get this moved, but no team like Jamis is likely to hire him as no one believes he was/is clean. I say that having met Chris several times and actually finding him a nice/fun guy to talk to.


I think this is the truth man. I don't think many teams are buying that he rides clean all of the time. I hate to say it, but I think that's the reality. He won the Vuelta at 41 years old, etc. I like his spirit though, he's a funny dude.


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## eddiecut (Jul 21, 2013)

He will find another team late in the season, chill with his family for the off season. Hopefully I will see him around town. I am a huge horner fan, good guy


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## Dan Gerous (Mar 28, 2005)

If Lampre doesn't re-sign him, Horner's season might make it even harder than last year to find a contract. On top of his shady reputation as far as doping goes, he has the reputation of being very fragile, often sick, crashed out and his 2014 season just re-inforced that perception... Teams don't get much racing days out of him, even less days that are not only racing to get back into form. An always sick and broken old guy is not very attractive for teams. His self-over-hyping and greed don't help either.

But, two things going his way, Lampre probably don't mind if he is or was dirty (although Merida are slightly changing this) and Damiano Cunego just signed with another team so they now have a bit more budget to sign Horner.


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## jsjcat (Jun 25, 2011)

Retro Grouch said:


> Chris Horner has enjoyed a long a successful career. Although he is still competitive in the pro ranks, it might be time to close this chapter in his life. Chris is an intelligent guy with a good head for racing, but unfortunately time is not on his side when it comes to keeping the old body going year after year.
> 
> Hopefully Horner will decide to retire from competition and devote his talents to development of the sport and mentoring new talent. Chris is also articulate, and would make an excellent cycling commentator.
> 
> I will hate to see him leave the professional racing, but it's better than watching a rider languish way past his prime



He would make a good TV commentator.


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## Horze (Mar 12, 2013)

The horn has been cut loose from the Lampre.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

IKD, Astana has a few new openings.


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

An article on cycling news say's Horners contract is still being discussed. It's a 50/50 chance that he will stay with the team and that he is in discussions with a couple other teams. It is a wait and see what happens thing.


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## jajichan (Jul 9, 2014)

Jwiffle said:


> Except Levi's doping wasn't speculation, since he admitted to it. Age was definitely a factor in his inability to find A team, as well.


Horner's isn't speculation, either.


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## JSR (Feb 27, 2006)

jajichan said:


> Horner's isn't speculation, either.


Please enlighten us.


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## Jwiffle (Mar 18, 2005)

jajichan said:


> Horner's isn't speculation, either.


Uh...he hasn't test positive, admitted to it, or been sanctioned for it. Regardless of the fact that you may believe he doped, it is still speculation. I, too, believe he has/does dope as much as the rest of them, but that doesn't make it fact. 

And all the team managers know that cycling, along with most sports, is rife with doping. They are hiring plenty of other riders that are just as likely doping. That leaves age and his fragility as the limiting factors.

Some are saying the grand tours should be shorter, as then riders would be less tempted to dope since it wouldn't be so extreme. Anyone who believes that is completely niave...cyclists don't dope because the ride is tough; they dope because they want to win. People cheat at poker, too, and that's neither physically or mentally challenging nor a particularly long endeavor.


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

true, sprinters dope too. However, it is not very common to see riders to dope just to finish 100m dash. Never mind winning. Vaughters was doping and he never even finished a single TdF. Hincapie, Andrieu, Eki, VandeVelde, all doped just so that they could survive the tour and someone else on their team could win. 
So when it's almost a requirement to dope just to get through a transitional stage, you know things are bad.

As to Horner - I believe his reputation *is* part of the problem, in addition to his age. I will bet you anything that if Jens Voigt, who is basically same age as Horner, wanted to come back to racing for 2015, there would be many teams wanting to sign him up on the cheap - he is just that marketable right now.

Horner - not so much. He is marketable enough simply because he is an american, apparently. There was a whole discussion about how european teams want an american on the team because it gets sponsors some sizable US market exposure - Lampre probably gets their money's worth in US market exposure even if Horner doesn't ride a single race day. But would they get the same benefit from another year of Horner? It probably saturates quickly, especially since Horner didn't exactly deliver any results. There was one attack by Horner off the front for about 3 minutes, in one TdF stage, until Nibali shut it down. That's all I remember of Horner's 2014 season and I am a cycling junkie.

I am sorry, but if Andy Schleck has to retire, perhaps so does Horner. His Vuelta win is always a bit questionable and outside of that I am not sure he is that much better than Schleck on paper.


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## dnice (Jul 12, 2012)

nothing at all questionable about his vuelta win. he climbed better than his competitor. the doping nonsense is worth exactly the price i am paying to read it on this website. and if you "know" that tems are staying away because of it, then man up and name names...but, of course, i don't expect anyone to...so much easier to spread bollocks on an internet forum under cover of anonymity, isn't it?


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## nachoman (Nov 24, 2009)

Jwiffle said:


> . . . all the team managers know that cycling, along with most sports, is rife with doping. . . .


correct.


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## Horze (Mar 12, 2013)

Jwiffle said:


> Some are saying the grand tours should be shorter, as then riders would be less tempted to dope since it wouldn't be so extreme. Anyone who believes that is completely niave...cyclists don't dope because the ride is tough; they dope because they want to win. People cheat at poker, too, and that's neither physically or mentally challenging nor a particularly long endeavor.


GTs used to be longer. The Tour at present is about a third shorter than it used to be.
There are no guarantees that a shorter Tour would lead to cleaner participants. There are many short Tours throughout the season anyway, take your pick.
Also Doping isn't precisely the cure towards the ailment of a longer race. It's entirely possible to race the Tour cleanly, despite it being 3-weeks long. To do well at the Tour it's all about consistency. So, not break your balls one day and then pay for it the next. What you do off the bike is just as important as on it. It's about consistency and maintaining a stable mindset.

I personally think Horner is a superb Grand Tour rider. He goes to show almost all, if not all, of the qualities of a Champion. It goes to show age has nothing to do with it.


NB. Off the bike, by that I don't mean bloodbags and/or drips.


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## Horze (Mar 12, 2013)

55x11 said:


> true, sprinters dope too. However, it is not very common to see riders to dope just to finish 100m dash. Never mind winning. Vaughters was doping and he never even finished a single TdF. Hincapie, Andrieu, Eki, VandeVelde, all doped just so that they could survive the tour and someone else on their team could win.
> So when it's almost a requirement to dope just to get through a transitional stage, you know things are bad.
> 
> As to Horner - I believe his reputation *is* part of the problem, in addition to his age. I will bet you anything that if Jens Voigt, who is basically same age as Horner, wanted to come back to racing for 2015, there would be many teams wanting to sign him up on the cheap - he is just that marketable right now.
> ...


Your entire take on the issue is wrong. What you call marketable is nothing more than a purely hypothetical stance due to social media.

JV isn't coming back. He has 6 kids to feed.
CH on the other hand enjoys his job so let him do that.
AS wanted out.

Everybody has a different image. You can't expect everyone to be projecting glory through their Twitter account.


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## love4himies (Jun 12, 2012)

Andy had to retire because his knee isn't healing, otherwise I don't think he would have. As long as Chris can ride a grand tour and do half decently well (even if it's to be "Plan B"), he should ride, IMHO. This year was terrible because he got hit by a car and was pretty seriously injured and had Lampre not signed the MPCC, then he would have done the Vuelta. He loves climbing in 100 degree heat, so he may have done reasonably well.

I hope he does get another contract.


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

Horze said:


> ...JV isn't coming back. He has 6 kids to feed..


I was under the impression he was doing pretty well providing for his family by riding.


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## love4himies (Jun 12, 2012)

looigi said:


> I was under the impression he was doing pretty well providing for his family by riding.


I think he was doing well while he was cycling, but I think he's mentioned he needs to work after retirement as he needs to provide for 6 children and he is not a millionaire.


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## LostViking (Jul 18, 2008)

Cooke in discussions with two new teams over Horner | Cyclingnews.com

Not looking good at the moment, but he signed in February of 2014 for the 2014 season, so I guess he can keep hope alive for a while yet?


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## davidka (Dec 12, 2001)

Hopefully some team with payroll dollars recognizes how perfect the upcoming TdF is for Horner and hires him. He beat Nibali at a similar Vuelta just over a year ago.


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## JSR (Feb 27, 2006)

davidka said:


> Hopefully some team with payroll dollars recognizes how perfect the upcoming TdF is for Horner and hires him.


 I was thinking the same thing.


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

According to cycling news Horner will not get his contract renewed. He is in the process of finding a team and the article said that an American team is possible. Just wait and see how it turns out.


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

"JV isn't coming back. He has 6 kids to feed.
CH on the other hand enjoys his job so let him do that.
AS wanted out."

JV is not coming back because he is, like, 90 years old and had a team to run.

CH should be hired only because "he enjoys his job"? I am sure Timmy Duggan enjoyed his job too. Maybe even Hushovd. But at some point you are not useful to the team - any team, and they are spending their money on new talent. 

You sound like CH has a constitutional *right* to have a job until he decides on his own to magnanimously quit cycling. 

No - the teams have to decide if hiring flaky 43-year old with spotty history and reputation, who has not exactly delivered anything last year, is more of a liability, or is it really worth big $$$ Horner is asking.

Just because CH think he deserves a contract (with a ProTour team too) doesn't mean he actually does deserve the contract. The market settles it. If he was so valuable, he would not be having so many problems getting signed... again.

I also disagree that (Andy) Schleck retired because he wanted out, or because he had bad knee.
There is definitely something wrong mentally about AS - always was. People got over broken tibia to win grand tours - AS is just not a fighter, doesn't have that killer instinct. He should have retired years ago.


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## AJL (Jul 9, 2009)

55x11 said:


> I also disagree that (Andy) Schleck retired because he wanted out, or because he had bad knee.
> There is definitely something wrong mentally about AS - always was. People got over broken tibia to win grand tours - AS is just not a fighter, doesn't have that killer instinct. He should have retired years ago.


Definitely agree with this. He had the physical attributes, but you need someone like Conti who relishes the opportunity to personally asphyxiate another rider - even at the risk of doing it to himself as well.


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## stevesbike (Jun 3, 2002)

AJL said:


> Definitely agree with this. He had the physical attributes, but you need someone like Conti who relishes the opportunity to personally asphyxiate another rider - even at the risk of doing it to himself as well.


you should rewatch the 2011 Tour....


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## AJL (Jul 9, 2009)

stevesbike said:


> you should rewatch the 2011 Tour....


That would be nice - maybe I should. Though I don't want to see what happened to Hoogerland again


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## LostViking (Jul 18, 2008)

If he does get a contract, I'm thinking it will not be for a team that gets an invite to one of the GTs. If he is willing to forego that and accept the lower pay, he'll find a team, otherwise it might be time for him to put the bike aside and find other work in cycling.


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## love4himies (Jun 12, 2012)

Rumor has it that he's signed with a team, but won't be announced for a couple of days. Anybody heard rumors of which team?


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## burgrat (Nov 18, 2005)

love4himies said:


> Rumor has it that he's signed with a team, but won't be announced for a couple of days. Anybody heard rumors of which team?


https://twitter.com/ProCyclingStats/status/534598118059167745

They say CULTEnergyPro, a continental pro team out of Denmark, but not confirmed. Hopefully luck will be on the old man's side this coming year!


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## JSR (Feb 27, 2006)

CULTEnergyPro? WTF is that?


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## Retro Grouch (Apr 30, 2002)

JSR said:


> CULTEnergyPro? WTF is that?


CULT Energy Pro Cycling homepage


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## love4himies (Jun 12, 2012)

Well, I guess that's better than not racing????


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## JSR (Feb 27, 2006)

Yikes. I mean .... wow. Um. Holy crap. 

I'm glad CH found a ride and all, but this is a heckuva situation for the guy two years removed from a GT win. They have only 14 riders, fercryinoutloud. That's not enough to compete in a week's worth of Classics!

Well, I hope they get in some good races and show well. That'd be the best revenge.

JSR


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## love4himies (Jun 12, 2012)

They've signed Fabian Wegmann from Garmin.


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## LostViking (Jul 18, 2008)

It's a team with ambitions - Horner would be a great addition and can teach the young ones a thing or two.

Doubt we'll see them in anything beyond The Tour of Denmark or minor races in Northern Europe in 2015 - so another GT for Chris is not looking to be in the cards. But at least he's riding and getting a check.


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

Sounds good to me. I hope it works out.


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## 32and3cross (Feb 28, 2005)

Not signed with CULT.

CyclingQuotes.com New team for Horner


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

OK then. It's just wait for a while until they are ready to spill the beans.


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## love4himies (Jun 12, 2012)

They said in a few days they will reveal, well it's been a few days, so hopefully today they will announce it. I hope it's a WT team, I would like to see him in a GT again.


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## love4himies (Jun 12, 2012)

It's confirmed that it's a US team that he signed with. Garmin has revealed their roster, so could it be BMC or Trek?


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## MMsRepBike (Apr 1, 2014)

love4himies said:


> It's confirmed that it's a US team that he signed with. Garmin has revealed their roster, so could it be BMC or Trek?


it's neither. 

well speculation of course but the team is described as "up and coming." Neither BMC nor Trek fit that description at all. I'm thinking a continental team most likely.


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## majbuzz (Nov 30, 2012)

I'm hoping BMC for sure. With Thor and Cadel leaving it would be good for them IMO.


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

Well I was hoping for a US team.


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## love4himies (Jun 12, 2012)

MMsRepBike said:


> it's neither.
> 
> well speculation of course but the team is described as "up and coming." Neither BMC nor Trek fit that description at all. I'm thinking a continental team most likely.


It's not Hincapie (they have denied signing him), it's not UHC (they have announced their team roster) or Jelly Belly (don't have the money), who is left? 

Can't be Novo unless he's developed diabetes or changed their policy.

Edit:

Bissell????


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## 32and3cross (Feb 28, 2005)

Airgas/Safeway


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## MMsRepBike (Apr 1, 2014)

Smartstop is my guess but I really don't know.




32and3cross said:


> Airgas/Safeway


Does seem likely but man is that an unknown team. I wonder what's so taboo about Horner, I think he's great. Maybe he doesn't take enough steroids for the pro teams.


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## 32and3cross (Feb 28, 2005)

Smartstop would not touch him, Airgas is where he is going. 

More like he takes too much, he has long be suspected which is why some teams won't touch him the other is he's age and the fact that he get hurt a lot.


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## love4himies (Jun 12, 2012)

32and3cross said:


> Airgas/Safeway


Oh yeah, I remember reading something about Safeway sponsoring a team.


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## Rokh On (Oct 30, 2011)

"Bart Bowen will be the director for (Airgas-Safeway) next season. The former pro is based in Bend, Oregon; Horner also lives there."


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## love4himies (Jun 12, 2012)

If this turns out to be true, it may be a very good fit for Horner. He could mentor younger riders, then retire in a year to be a directeur sportif should he chose to stay in cycling.


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## misterwaterfallin (Sep 14, 2012)

MMsRepBike said:


> I wonder what's so taboo about Horner,


It's widely thought that he's "rider 15" an unnamed person in the USADA investigation report. Meaning, he took drugs, didn't serve any time(that we know of) and is still racing like nothing happened. Some don't like this fact.


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## AJL (Jul 9, 2009)

misterwaterfallin said:


> It's widely thought that he's "rider 15" an unnamed person in the USADA investigation report. Meaning, he took drugs, didn't serve any time(that we know of) and is still racing like nothing happened. Some don't like this fact.


That makes sense. Despite his age, he would be an awesome road captain for any team with promising young talent - except if he was a doper (and unlike us, some insiders likely have at least second hand knowledge).


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## eddiecut (Jul 21, 2013)

Rokh On said:


> "Bart Bowen will be the director for (Airgas-Safeway) next season. The former pro is based in Bend, Oregon; Horner also lives there."



I was pretty stoked to see that! Bart is a great guy...


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## love4himies (Jun 12, 2012)

Well, I think a "few days" has now come and gone, it's time to make the official announcement.


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

I am very happy that Horner will be on an American team. Best wishes to him. I hope he has a stellar year.


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## love4himies (Jun 12, 2012)

It's now been confirmed. Glad for Horner and hope he has a good year.


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## AJL (Jul 9, 2009)

love4himies said:


> It's now been confirmed. Glad for Horner and hope he has a good year.


Good for him, I hope he can stay healthy and retire with some dignity. Depending on how well his last year (or two?) goes, I think he might make a good DS.


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## JSR (Feb 27, 2006)

Yes, this is a good thing.

It's too bad he couldn't find a European ride. Look for him to lather it on thick when he gets the chance to ride against international competition - California, Colorado, Quebec(?).


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## Retro Grouch (Apr 30, 2002)

So much for retiring at the pinnacle of your career.

I'm happy Chris has found a paycheck for at least another season.


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

Awesome. A talented cyclist such as Horner could race for a number of years if that is what he wants. I hope he races and wins the Amjen Tour this year. My favorite US race.


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

Cycling news said they are going to try and get invited to the Amjen Tour. I live on the West Coast and will look forward to catching one of the stages if they come through Monterey or Santa Cruz. I would not make the drive to San Francisco however as it's 100 miles. 

Anyway Congratulations to Chris Horner on his new team. I am looking forward to following along on the net and to see how the year works out.


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## eddiecut (Jul 21, 2013)

they made it official the other day


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