MADRID, Spain - Chris Horner took his maiden Grand Tour victory at the age of 41 when he won the Vuelta a Espana this weekend. He beat pre-race favourite Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) by 37 seconds, with Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) completing the podium positions.
The Radio Shack rider becomes the oldest winner of the Vuelta in history and the American rider said he was delighted that his victory came at a time when he could really appreciate it. He has 16 and 14 year old daughters and an 11 year old son and he said that he was glad that they were of an age where "they can appreciate what Dad is doing".
Horner was a surprise winner as he had missed the Tour de France because of a knee injury and although he had shown some decent form in American races it was not expected that he would be able to be competitive for the overall classification in the Vuelta.
This year's Vuelta was a surprisingly entertaining and competitive affair which threw up some surprise winners and names to look for in future Grand Tours. Although the Spanish race is considered the least important of the three biggest races in the cycling world, it is increasingly getting closer to the Giro in terms of watchability and enjoyment.
0 Comments