Great Story in American Cycling

Chris Horner wins Tour of California

It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. Chris Horner brought home the victory at the Tour of California on Sunday, surprising nearly everyone in a great story for American cycling. Twenty years into his career, Chris has worked as a loyal teammate and now he finally gets a chance to seize the day himself. But he did it with the help of his team, an example of the unusual role that teams play in this sport, where leaders become assistants overnight, and vice versa.

A short week ago, all eyes were on Levi Leipheimer: age 37, three-time winner of the Tour of California and Santa Rosa resident. No one had bigger expectations than Levi had for himself, particularly after losing the top spot to Michael Rogers in 2010. His team, Radioshack, included Chris Horner, the 39-year-old who worked by his side at the Tour de France last year, as well as six other younger support riders.

Best known as a climber, Chris served as a solid teammate who shepherded teammates including Levi and Lance Armstrong for years up the mountains of California, France, and around the world. The advantage cyclists have when following a teammate can be surprising, as the amount of drag created by cutting through the air and wind is significant. So as a sacrifice to their own prospects, these shepherds take on the effort and enable their teammates to conserve energy and win the race.

Last year at the Tour de France, Chris was serving this role as assistant for Lance Armstrong, who was unable to keep up. As a result, Chris was eventually freed from that responsibility and allowed to pursue his own achievements. He finished tenth overall, a result that most professional cyclists only dream of. In addition, in 2010, he won the Tour de Basque, finished fourth at the Tour of California, and secured top ten finishes in several European classics including Fleche-Wallone. It added up to an impressive year at an age when most cyclists have retired.

Fast forward back to the 2011 Amgen Tour of California. After the first stage was cancelled due to snow, the sprinters dominated the next two days. On Stage 4, Radioshack drove hard at the front of the peloton, aiming to create an advantage for Leipheimer. The leading cyclists narrowed to a smaller group, and at about three kilometers to the finish with an average gradient of over 9%, Horner had the legs. Levi could not keep up. Horner was freed to go for it himself, leaving behind Levi and every other rider. As he powered to the finish, Horner wore his signature look in the mountains. It is a grin that could be a smile or a grimace, though the smile fits better with Horner’s easy-going personality.

Horner won the day, secured the race lead, and became the Radioshack team leader. In cycling, that leadership is earned on a daily basis, and bad luck or bad legs can turn team roles upside down. Now the original race favorite, Leipheimer, was obligated to help his teammate best their competitors and even best him. Horner had a 1 minute 15 second advantage over Leipheimer, who was 7 seconds ahead of the third place man, Tom Danielson of Garmin-Cervelo.

But not so fast. The individual time trial is a break from the team rules. It is a race against the clock for each man, free to pursue his own goals. The Stage 6 time trial in Solvang was an opportunity for all the cyclists to pull back time on Chris, who is regarded as a good if not great time trialer. Levi is known as one of the world’s best, and he had won this stage when it was last in Solvang in 2009. Despite a solid effort, Levi missed the stage win by 14 seconds, with David Zabriskie of Garmin-Cervelo finishing first. For the overall race, he closed part of the gap to his teammate, but Horner retained the lead by 38 seconds.

Matthew Busche

The next stage was the most dramatic mountain-top finish the Tour of California has ever seen. While a relatively short course at 75.8 miles, the riders climbed 15,000 feet to finish atop Mt. Baldy. The Radioshack team kept control of the race for leader Chris Horner, and Levi resumed his support role, shepherding Chris up the mountain. Brutal pacemaking was done by teammates Matt Busche, age 26, and Dmitriy Muravyev, age 31, among others. With about two kilometers remaining, Levi pulled away with Chris following right behind, and they drove together the finish. Just before crossing the line, the teammates touched hands, congratulating each other on their double win—Levi won the stage and Chris’ overall victory was nearly secure. Race organizers called it Radioshack’s “one-two punch.”

The teammates did not compete for the stage win. It was understood between them that Levi would cross the line first. He would get credit for the day’s hard work and the work he put in for the team throughout the tour. Chris would win the overall race the next day, and that was plenty. While fortunes rise and fall quickly for cyclists, these gentlemen’s agreements remain firm.

Horner, Leipheimer & Danielson on the podium

As expected, Stage 8 was a sprint finish that did not affect the leaders standings. Chris Horner won by 38 seconds over teammate Levi Leipheimer. Danielson of Garmin-Cervelo finished third. At the awards ceremony in Thousand Oaks, Chris was grinning from ear to ear. He thanked his team and recalled learning to ride on the nearby roads of Simi Valley. At the ripe old age of 39, he was on top of the podium.

Chris Horner is an American cyclist who always stops to greet fans, pose for photos, and give autographs. He has worked hard and earned a reputation as a nice guy and a loyal teammate. He has continued to push himself for better form and even better results. That is the kind of guy who is more than one kind of champion.

Congratulations, Chris and Team Radioshack! Sometimes nice guys do finish first.