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Flashback Friday: When Chris Horner became the oldest man to win a Grand Tour at the 2013 Vuelta a España
Chris Horner didn’t have the best of preparations for the 2013 Vuelta a España. The Radioshack-Leopard rider had participated in only three stage races that year, beginning with Tirreno-Adriatico in early March, where he finished sixth, followed by the Volta a Catalunya in late March, where he only raced the opening stage. The American had aggravated a knee injury and after being diagnosed with iliotibial band friction syndrome, was sidelined for five months after surgery.
His first race back was the six-day Tour of Utah in August. Horner won Stage 5 and placed second overall behind Garmin-Sharp’s Tom Danielson.
The race
Come the Vuelta in late August, Horner wasn’t on anyone’s list of favourites. Astana’s Vincenzo Nibali had won the Giro d’Italia in May and was looking to claim his second Grand Tour of the season. Alejandro Valverde had finished second to Alberto Contador at the Vuelta in 2012 and was aiming to go one better, building on his strong Tour de France performance.
Also among the favourites was Joaquim Rodríguez of Katusha, who placed third overall at the Vuelta the year prior. However, it was Horner who would pull on the red jersey on Stage 3. During a flat day from Vigo to Mirador de Lobeira, he broke away in the final kilometre while taking advantage of the uphill finish to net his first stage victory and replace Nibali at the top of the standings by three seconds. The Italian would reclaim the lead the following stage though as Horner lost touch on the final climb to Fisterra.
Over the next couple of weeks, the Vuelta would unexpectedly become a tussle between the pair: Horner, the 41-year-old without a contract for the following season, versus Nibali, the Grand Tour winner. On Stage 10, Horner worked his way back into the red jersey atop Alto Hazallanas, just prior to the first rest day after a solo attack on the hors categorie climb. It opened a gap of 43sec to Nibali.
A 38.8km individual time-trial kicked off the second week. It was predictably won by Horner’s teammate Fabian Cancellara but a strong fourth place for Nibali would turn the tables again. Horner bumped down to fourth overall, 46sec back. Nibali led the race throughout the second week towards the Pyrenees. After Stage 16 and heading into the final rest day, the gap had been reduced between the warring duo to 28sec. The third week saw Horner attempt to overturn the deficit, and it was on Stage 18 that cracks began to form in Nibali’s armour.
On a day won by Sky’s Vasil Kiryienka, Horner dropped the maillot rojo on the 20% gradient in the final kilometre of the Peña Cabarga to close the gap to just three seconds with three stages remaining. The jersey would change hands again the next day. Stage 19 was a 181km route from San Vicente de la Barquera to a summit finish on Alto del Naranco with Rodríguez taking stage honours. Behind, Horner had eked out a six-second gap over Nibali. The jersey returned. Nibali found himself in the position of his rival at the beginning of the stage: 3sec down on the lead.
The race would be decided on the Alto de l’Angliru. Stage 20 packed four climbs into 144km, ending with a one-two punch of the Alto del Cordal preceding the ferocious gradients of the Angliru. Nibali tried and tried to attack Horner, dropping him in the process, but ultimately wore himself out as the American kept coming back.
It was in the final two kilometres that Horner rode away and kept pushing to solidify his growing lead. 22-year-old Kenny Elissonde of FDJ.fr, the third-youngest rider in the race, was up the road to take a sensational victory, while the oldest rider finished second. Horner had defeated Nibali and the maillot rojo would be his with just the sprint stage in Madrid remaining.
The reaction
Horner became the first American to win the Vuelta and the oldest rider to win a Grand Tour, an historical achievement that also brought scrutiny. In an attempt to answer the questions of his critics, Horner released all his biological passport results since 2008. The Stage 10 victory at the 2013 Vuelta a España would be his last win on the road.
Joining Lampre-Merida for the 2014 season, his planned participation in the Giro d’Italia was scuppered following a hit-and-run that left him with four broken ribs and a punctured lung. At the Tour de France, he raced to 17th place but was pulled from the Vuelta squad when his cortisol levels dropped below the threshold deemed healthy by the Movement for Credible Cycling.
Horner stepped down to Continental level and signed a contract with Airgas-Safeway for 2015 then the Lupus Racing Team in 2016, which folded at the end of the season. He didn’t race in 2017 but returned in 2018, riding for Continental squad Team Illuminate for two years before transitioning to a commentary role for NBC Sports.
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