Quote:
Originally Posted by CoolBec
Great to see another cycle racing fan around here US.
I was so thrilled to see Chris win a grand tour. There was a time when he was literally untouchable in US domestic racing, but for some reason didn't take any of the many offers he was getting to go racing in the big leagues in Europe. When he finally did go, I think he was a little past his prime at that point.
The fact that he can still win a grand tour at his age is a true testament to his talent. Good for you Chris...I'm a BIG fan!
|
He actually did go across to a European team in the 1990s but he didn't have much success and returned back to the USA to make his name there. But he sure left it too late to make the jump across to one the big European teams for a second time as a leader and when he did go across, it was more in the role of a luxury domestique with a certain amount of freedoms than as a true team leader. His whole honours list is full of top 10 finishes in stage races and the hilly one day classics, so the talent was always there. His biggest ever win before La Vuelta a Espana was the Tour of the Basque Country a few years ago, which is a very hard one week tour to win.
Chris has beaten Vincenzo Nibali probably the second best stage race rider in the world at the moment and that alone was fairly amazing in itself.