Testers unable to find rider in out of competition control carried out this morning
The RadioShack Leopard team has categorically denied reports that Chris Horner was not at the correct hotel when anti-doping testers turned up, saying that he updated his ADAMS whereabouts prior to the start of yesterday’s final stage and that the error was theirs rather than something more sinister.
“He didn’t miss a test,” team spokesman Philippe Maertens told VeloNation today. “The guys from USADA were in the wrong hotel. Chris changed his hotel yesterday as he wanted to stay in the hotel of his wife prior to flying back to the US today. He filled in the Adams system.
“He even got a confirmation that his change was approved. Those guys were in the wrong hotel and it is their fault. But they then like to leak it to the media.”
According to Spanish publication AS, the test was carried out by the Spanish anti doping agency AEA early this morning. It said that when it went to the room it expected him to be in, another rider of the team was sleeping there. It also stated that the testers went to a second hotel and he was not there either.
AS stated that the test was carried out on behalf of USADA, which under UCI rules had to wait until the end of the race to be able to perform its own tests on the rider. It stated that the team was staying in the Hotel Princesa in Alcorcon, near Madrid.
Maerterns insists that the rider did nothing wrong. “Chris was where he was supposed to be [under the updated ADAMS system – ed.]. He was in hotel of the wife about thirty minutes from our hotel.”
Asked what will happen next, he said that neither the team nor the rider had to do anything. “Nothing can happen. If they were in the wrong hotel, it is their problem if they couldn’t find us,” he said.
VeloNation has sought a response from USADA as to whether Horner’s whereabouts information was changed, but due to time zone differences no response is expected until later today.
Horner’s Vuelta campaign saw him become the oldest rider to win a stage, to lead the race and to win a Grand Tour. He will turn 42 years of age on October 23rd. The next oldest rider to win a three week race was Firmin Lambot, who took the 1922 Tour de France at 36 years of age.
The American rider dominated this year’s race in the mountains, winning two stages and dropping his rivals on the final climb of the Angliru to seal his victory. It is by far the best result of his career, with his previous top Grand Tour result being ninth overall in the 2010 Tour de France.
Because of those stats, Horner’s win has led to a mixed response. Some celebrate what is a standout achievement for a rider in his 40s, while others have questioned such a big result by the second oldest rider in the WorldTour.
According to Maertens, Horner was tested each morning and evening in the final three days of the Vuelta.
The rider will return to the US today and will spend over a week there before returning to Europe for the world road race championships on September 29th.
His contract with the RadioShack Leopard team expires at the end of this season and he and his agent are working on his destination for 2014.
“Chris’ manager is negotiating with different teams, and also with the Trek team,” said Maertens, who stated that it was too soon to say where he likely go.
Also see: RadioShack Leopard team issues confirmation email from USADA which it says proves Horner changed whereabouts information