Team RadioShack's first multi-stage tour win came at the hands of Oregon's Chris Horner on Saturday.
The 38-year-old blistered the 14-mile time trial course that marked the finale of the six-day Tour of Basque Country in Spain, taking the championship from Spain's Alejandro Valverde, who dropped to second place.
Basque Country is considered one of the more difficult multi-stage races in Europe because of the terrain. Horner put himself in a position to win early in the contest by hanging with the leaders in the first stage on Monday.
He stayed comfortably within reach of first place until Thursday's Stage 4. That's when he attacked on the final climb, only to be passed by stage winner Samuel Sanchez, Valverde and Robert Gesink. But that move put him within 1 second of the overall race leader Valverde.
“I love this race”
In his ride to victory in Orio on Saturday, Horner set the best time of 32:33, 8 seconds faster that second place finisher Valverde.
CyclingNews quoted him at the finish: “I love this race. Every year, I want to come early to see the courses.”
Last year was not so glamorous, as Horner broke his collarbone and rib during the race.
Video
Highlights and a live feed from the Tour of Basque Country (aka Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco) is streamed online at Universal Sports. It also is broadcast on Universal Sports cable channels at noon (ET).
This is a great finish for Horner and well-deserved. He has served many years in support of other cyclists such as Cadel Evans on Davitamon-Lotto and Alberto Contador on Astana. Horner and Levi Leipheimer kicked it around when Lance Armstrong joined Astana in 2009. He wrote about his disappointment at not being chosen for the 2009 Tour de France squad.
RadioShack
He made the jump to the newly formed Team RadioShack in the off season.
Horner turned pro in 1995 with NutraFig and won quite a few domestic cycling races, including the inaugural Tour de Georgia in 2003. He has at least four overall wins at the Redlands Bicycle Classic.
He rode in several Tours de France, most notably in 2005 when he and Sylvain Chavanel shared a long breakaway only to have it spoiled by the peloton at the finish when their cooperation fell apart.
Lift
He might best be remembered, however, for giving a lift to a bicyclist and his broken bicycle to the finish line of the 2008 Cascade Cycling Classic.
The experience of the 2007 Tour of Romandie must have weighed on his mind this morning. He was wearing the yellow jersey on the final stage, only to lose it by finishing 7th in that race's final individual time trial.
Horner writes a blog, “Freewheeling”, for the OregonLive.com. I'm looking forward to reading his next post.
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