Will Horner get a new contract for 2014

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  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    Horner's Hematocrit at the Vuelta 2013 as an average was 43%... I am the same age and I got it tested the other day at 44%.
    If he was doped, the improvement was certainly not massive, not enough to justify his dominance in the climbing area anyway... so he must have done something good, as much as we don't like him


    I dont want to spark off a re-run of the D debate. I just cant stand him, he makes my skin crawl
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,661
    Have to agree with OCU...much as I kinda don't want to
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • rayjay
    rayjay Posts: 1,384
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    Horner's Hematocrit at the Vuelta 2013 as an average was 43%... I am the same age and I got it tested the other day at 44%.
    If he was doped, the improvement was certainly not massive, not enough to justify his dominance in the climbing area anyway... so he must have done something good, as much as we don't like him

    I quite like him. I don't know him personally.

    If his ride at the Vuelta was clean then that was an incredible performance and it's about time he got some credit for that.

    If he was doping then there is a strong suggestion that other riders who ran him close must be doping as well and it's still a great performance.

    I hope he kicks some ar%% this year.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,031
    Whatever else he's another name in the mix, big races need big name riders. Horner is a grand tour winner and should add to the race - I'm glad he's there. No doubt Lampre have been swayed by him being cheap - we've all bought something we didn't really need because it was in a sale - mostly to regret it later right enough.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    At Last
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    rayjay wrote:
    If his ride at the Vuelta was clean then that was an incredible performance and it's about time he got some credit for that.

    If he was doping then there is a strong suggestion that other riders who ran him close must be doping as well and it's still a great performance.

    Hard to argue with that.
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • Bo Duke
    Bo Duke Posts: 1,058
    Obviously doubts still remain so I guess his performance this season will be a good indicator. Good luck to him as he'll be 12 months older come the Vuelta.
    'Performance analysis and Froome not being clean was a media driven story. I haven’t heard one guy in the peloton say a negative thing about Froome, and I haven’t heard a single person in the peloton suggest Froome isn’t clean.' TSP
  • fleshtuxedo
    fleshtuxedo Posts: 1,857
    So the answer to the OP is yes. What happened in the previous 26 pages of this thread? :lol:
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    rayjay wrote:
    If his ride at the Vuelta was clean then that was an incredible performance and it's about time he got some credit for that.

    This is spot on. His passport has been published - albeit with quibbles. This should at least be taken into account alongside some of his past associations.

    If the performance was so unbelievable (like we have a large sample size of 40yos riding against this peloton), he must be on some miraculous preparation, known only to him. What is it?
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,160
    Peace breaks out on a pro-race forum?
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Mad_Malx wrote:
    Peace breaks out on a pro-race forum?


    On my part, CBA

    What will be, will be etc etc
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,661
    Ones of the drawbacks of waiting for evidence is waiting for evidence.

    Nothing Horber did was particularly spectacular against a group of riders in their 2nd GT and who were hardly cream of the crop (save one). I'm prepared to accept he got lucky. I still wouldnt hire him over a 25yr old kid with some promising numbers though...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    I just cant stand him, he makes my skin crawl
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    Bleurgh

    I have a visceral reaction to Horner. Very odd.

    You don't like him then? :D
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    Deserved contract ... Would have been a shame if a rider who wanted to race (and proved he still can) was forced out of earning a living when others 'massaged' their results and the system for their entire careers ...

    I do hope he can back up his performance ... a podium in any stage race against the usual suspects would be enough ... If it's a GT, even better ...
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,310
    Crankbrother wrote:
    forced out of earning a living when others 'massaged' their results and the system for their entire careers ......

    Forced out?

    By who?
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    I just cant stand him, he makes my skin crawl
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    Bleurgh

    I have a visceral reaction to Horner. Very odd.

    You don't like him then? :D

    RR self-confessedly enjoys Wiggins' performances, so it's not a shock ...

    The irony is that Wiggins' likes to promote himself as some kind of anti-hero ... Horner's story fits that image far more convincingly ...
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    TailWindHome wrote:
    Crankbrother wrote:
    forced out of earning a living when others 'massaged' their results and the system for their entire careers ......

    Forced out?

    By who?

    You think the difficulty he had finding a contract was the natural order of things? You don't think that the revelations of the past 1 1/2 years had an impact on a US GT winner finding a contract?
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,310
    Crankbrother wrote:
    TailWindHome wrote:
    Crankbrother wrote:
    forced out of earning a living when others 'massaged' their results and the system for their entire careers ......

    Forced out?

    By who?

    You think the difficulty he had finding a contract was the natural order of things? You don't think that the revelations of the past 1 1/2 years had an impact on a US GT winner finding a contract?

    Your post implies some sort of 'conspiracy'

    Honestly I think being an injury prone 42 year old looking for a huge pay day were the big factors.

    Better value riders struggled to get contracts this year.
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    We'll never really know ...

    Horner's twitter rant and Vaughters' snidey twittering just hinted at something more than age/money causing issues behind the scenes ...

    Either way, the rider who IMO produced the ride of the year (and best GT win since Cadel) gets a chance ... I would like him to produce again, if he doesn't so be it ...

    Shame he'll be riding in duff kit/bike ...
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    Crankbrother wrote:
    You think the difficulty he had finding a contract was the natural order of things? You don't think that the revelations of the past 1 1/2 years had an impact on a US GT winner finding a contract?
    He was asking for a $1m a year in October when teams had already filled up most of their roster in August. And it's a buyers market - Sanchez is struggling too. Conversely, Scarponi didn't struggle to get a contract.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    RichN95 wrote:
    Crankbrother wrote:
    You think the difficulty he had finding a contract was the natural order of things? You don't think that the revelations of the past 1 1/2 years had an impact on a US GT winner finding a contract?
    He was asking for a $1m a year in October when teams had already filled up most of their roster in August. And it's a buyers market - Sanchez is struggling too. Conversely, Scarponi didn't struggle to get a contract.

    I agree Horner was nearly the architect of his own downfall ... But no-one was even talking about negotiations with him, Europcar was the only tidbit out there ...

    Anyhoo, just my opinion, as i said, we'll likely never know ... and Horner would be best served not to tell us and let his legs do the talking ...
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    edited January 2014
    Let's hope he gets injuried before the Giro - that's how he shows up in the best condition to the race..

    Not buying it one bit.
  • rayjay
    rayjay Posts: 1,384
    I would love to see a fit Horner ride the tour.

    Taking on the Trek twins and trying one of those long paced out Vuelta attacks on the Sky train.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,661
    I think a 42yr vs the Schlecks might actually create quite a good race...

    The problem for me as Armchair DS is that no one would let him out on such a breakaway any more. All he can do is "defend" or lose time.
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    ddraver wrote:

    The problem for me as Armchair DS is that no one would let him out on such a breakaway any more. All he can do is "defend" or lose time.

    I kinda agree with that ... and that's why the TdF would be of any value ...

    But both the Giro and Vuelta (esp. the Vuelta) usually have a more compact group of leaders all with something to gain from an attack (including time bonuses) so he has a chance if he aligns himself with the correct rider/attack, tnen possibly strike out on his own ... His ride on Angliru is a template for that style of ride ...
  • Le Commentateur
    Le Commentateur Posts: 4,099
    It was Baden Cooke and his new sport agent's business got Horner a contract. Embedding Horner with Lampre is a big feather in the cap after it seemed no-one wanted to deal with Horner in the autumn. Who know's what the terms are, but getting Horner sorted out was a chance to promote Cooke's new Monaco-based venture.
    Un uomo solo al commando
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    edited January 2014
    Le Commentateur wrote:
    It was Baden Cooke and his new sport agent's business got Horner a contract. Embedding Horner with Lampre is a big feather in the cap after it seemed no-one wanted to deal with Horner in the autumn. Who know's what the terms are, but getting Horner sorted out was a chance to promote Cooke's new Monaco-based venture.
    There's a good piece by Inner Ring today about agents with a lot of reference to Horner/Cooke:

    http://inrng.com/2014/01/rider-agent-ba ... is-horner/
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    Good read Rich, thanks for posting ...
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,710
    So, Chris has to settle for one year, not two.
    Hardly a surprise.
    I just hope that now, Samu can follow suit.
    Just so long as he isn't asking for 7 figures a year....
    http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/sanchez ... ce-in-2014
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    Still think the now vacant BMC spot would have been a better fit ...

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