Chris Horner (RadioShack) has had to call time on his 2011 season as he recovers from a blood clot in his lungs. The 39-year-old American was scheduled to take part in Colorado's USA Pro Cycling Challenge later this month but instead will have to undergo a series of medical treatments. Although he will be fit to train in a matter of weeks, the medication he will receive would leave him prone to crashing and taking unnecessary risks with his health.
“In a few hours, I went from thinking I was going to be exceptionally well prepared for the Tour of Colorado, to a two night and two day stay in the St. Charles Medical Center in Bend, Oregon. With a pulmonary embolism, the season quickly went from an exciting and positive one (for the most part), to an abrupt end,” he wrote on his blog.
Horner also confirmed that he had extended his contract with RadioShack for a further two seasons. With a full recovery in the offing he will hope to make amends for a disappointing Tour de France.
“Looking ahead now, there’s a lot to be excited about. Since leaving the Tour de France, RadioShack has extended my contract for another two seasons, which gives me a lot of peace of mind and the ability to be completely focused on the next two years of great racing.
"I can’t thank them enough for all of the fantastic support throughout my time with the team, especially in the past month of challenges since leaving the Tour de France,” he said.
Horner will also marry his long-term girlfriend later this month and will be hosting the Cascade Gran Fondo, starting on Thursday, August 18th. Unable to ride, he will still attend. Readers can register for the ride here.
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Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.
