[Jason1500]

He has been the star of Team Radioshack this race IMO. I wonder what place in the GC he would be in right now if he didn't help Armstrong when he fell in stage 8.

 

[Beethoven]

To say nothing of his great interviews. What a class act.

 

[Creakyknees]

+yepsters

 

[harlond]

Horner lost 3:55 to the favorites group on Stage 8, and if you give that back, he's 1 second behind Gesink in 7th.

Horner's had a great tour. Paulinho also must count as the star for RS. Certainly not a great tour for the Shack, given their ambitions, but for most teams, a stage win, team GC, and a top ten GC placing (assuming Horner can hold it) is a good outcome. Milram would take any part of that.

 

[spookyload]

Horner was let free on the last two climbs of stage 8. He came in well before Armstrong in fact. Brajkovic was the one strapped with riding tempo for Armstrong. A damn solid ride indeed for him. Particularly since he had to baby sit Leipheimer during the ToC.

 

[nims]

He has been the star of Team Radioshack this race IMO. I wonder what place in the GC he would be in right now if he didn't help Armstrong when he fell in stage 8.

Well, what is the likelihood he would have managed to get into a breakaway like he did had he not been that far back.

 

[spookyload]

Well, what is the likelihood he would have managed to get into a breakaway like he did had he not been that far back.

Excellent point. Sastre pulled the same move the year he won. He went from insane time back to leading. Had Horner been nine minutes down, they would have brought the whole break back and he would still be nine minutes down.

 

[albert owen]

He has been the star of Team Radioshack this season IMO.

fixed

 

[snowman3]

Ditto. Very glad to see Horner + Ryder in top 10. Ryder had a great tour as well!

 

[Francis Cebedo]

... is now the team leader!

 

[WeakMite]

Team Sky should have signed Horner for the 6 mil they gave Wiggins... seeing that Horner (riding as a domestique) is 30 minutes ahead of him on GC.



10:37 - 10 on GC - Christopher Horner (USA) Team Radioshack
41:03 - 24 on GC - Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Professional Cycling Team

 

[Argentius]

Horner is pretty impressive -- makes me play the "what if" game quite a bit. Glad to see him representing!

 

[weltyed]

wiggo could still make that up during the ITT

Team Sky should have signed Horner for the 6 mil they gave Wiggins... seeing that Horner (riding as a domestique) is 30 minutes ahead of him on GC.



10:37 - 10 on GC - Christopher Horner (USA) Team Radioshack
41:03 - 24 on GC - Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Professional Cycling Team

 

[55x11]

Horner is pretty impressive -- makes me play the "what if" game quite a bit. Glad to see him representing!

I am really impressed by his ride today - but I think it is a bit depressing for him and Radioshack that their 5th man in lineup prior to Tour start (behind Lance, Levi, Klodi and perhaps Jani) turns out to be their strongest GC man. With good time trial he should defend his 10th or even move up a spot - not that it matters in grand scheme of things.

Of course had he not lost time supporting others he wouldn't be allowed to go in a breakaway with Armstrong, but I think he could have been easily top 10 had Radioshack supported him from the start.

 

[AJL]

Yeah, whatever team support RS gave Levi, they should have given Horner instead. Levi was dead on the road today whereas Horner rocked.

 

[jorgy]

wiggo could still make that up during the ITT

snicker

 

[spookyload]

He writes a really good blog for the Oregonian newspaper online as well. Great articles with details about how the stages unfolded for him. As a shameless plug, they posted an article I wrote too.

http://blog.oregonlive.com/horner/index.html

 

[mmoose]

Without him, Casse may have something to cheer about in this tour.

LA slides across the roundabout...So CH hauls the team lead to back of the group and then stays with until JB and LA give up hope...and then they remember the team competition and that Casse is up the road...so he has to go race hard up that last mountain with a deficit.

CH has had a helluva tour. I doubted him before. Years ago, there was a thread here, asking why CH wasn't racing in Europe. Couple days ago, LA should have chased down the break and given CH his chance at a stage win.

 

[Beethoven]

. Couple days ago, LA should have chased down the break and given CH his chance at a stage win.

I'm pretty sure that was the plan. Just didn't work out that way.

 

[JSR]

I'm a huge Horner fan. I think he could place top ten at the TdF, or any GC, every year if given the chance to ride for himself.

Having said that, I don't think he could every podium, barring some sort Sastre-type lucky day. He's an excellent climber, but can't break away from the best, as the Tourmalet showed today. And he can put in a top-15 TT on a good day, but that's about it.

What I really like, though, is that his head is always in the game. He's not sitting around waiting for something to happen. He's always looking to animate events. And his dedication to team results is on a par with Voigt. He'll do whatever it takes for a result, cheerfully and professionally.

JSR