According to a report by the online portal VeloNews.com , reigning Vuelta a España champion Chris Horner could be on the verge of signing a contract with the WorldTour team Lampre-Merida. If this comes to pass, the 42-year-old American could defend his title at the Spanish Grand Tour and also lead the team at the Giro d'Italia, one of his stated goals for the 2014 season. Alongside world champion Rui Costa, who wants to concentrate on the Tour de France, Horner would be the team's second Grand Tour contender, which also includes other big names in the sport such as Italians Filippo Pozzato and Damiano Cunego.
“When I left Italy ,” Lampre-Merida sports director Bruno Vicino stated on the sidelines of the Tour Down Under, “nothing was yet finalized. I know there have been talks with Horner and probably negotiations, but there has been no official news. However, the team is interested in signing him.”
After the departure of the previous Giro leader Michele Scarponi to Astana, the change would make sense. After his victory in the Tour of Spain, Horner initially turned down an offer from the Trek Factory Racing Team and speculated on an engagement with the team of Formula 1 superstar Fernando Alonso. When this did not materialize, he had to continue his team search. He turned down a contract with the Danish third division company Christina Watches because the team is not allowed to compete in WorldTour races. Rumors that he would switch to the Spanish ProConti team Caja Rural also did not come true.