Chris Horner

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This article is about the bicycle racer. For the Formula 1 manager, see Christian Horner

Christopher Horner (born October 23, 1971) is a American professional road bicycle racer who currently rides for the cycling team Davitamon-Lotto from Belgium. Originally from San Diego, California, Horner has been a dominating figure in the American road racing scene, since his humble beginning as a club racer riding for the San Diego Bicycle Club in the early 1990s, he showed immediate promise. After winning a stage of the Tour DuPont in 1996 riding for the NutraFig team, he was asked to ride in Europe with French team Française des Jeux. After three frustrating seasons from 1997 to 1999, he returned to America to resume a stellar domestic career, riding with Mercury in 2000, Prime Alliance in 2002, Saturn in 2003 and Webcor Builders in 2004.

He has won almost every important race in the US racing calendar, with the notable exception of the USPRO Championships. In 2005 changes in the numbers and size of teams allowed to participate in the race afforded him one of the best chances to win the race in a long time. However, despite having been in a breakaway with two other riders he ended third in the race. He decided to move to Saunier Duval - Prodir after his top-ten finish in the 2004 UCI World Road Cycling Championship because he wanted to give the Tour de France a try. After being injured in the beginning of 2005, Horner showed strong performance in the USPRO Championships and won his first major European victory by taking the sixth stage of the 2005 Tour of Switzerland. He then earned his place in the 2005 Tour de France team and nearly won the Miramas to Montpellier stage when he and Sylvain Chavanel refused to cooperate in the finale and were caught by the peloton. He made a move to the Belgian ProTour squad Davitamon-Lotto for the 2006 season.

His race commentaries have earned him both admiration and criticism: admiration for his accurate, honest assessment of the races, and criticism for what many consider to be arrogant comments.