Another Grand Tour, another round of questions, with none to zero answers. The internet forums are yet again ablaze with mudslinging and denial, counter attacks and indignation.
‘How can a 41-year old win a Grand Tour?’ some ask.
‘It’s a sad day for cycling when someone who wins a Grand Tour is automatically suspected of doping,’ replies another.
And then this happens: Chris Horner misses a doping test.
Or, if you listen to Radioshack-Leopard, the Spanish anti-doping authorities screw up and go to the wrong hotel.
First off I just want to say that we definitely do not need this kind of a mess right now.
I mean, seriously? The winner of the 2013 Vuelta a Espana misses an out of competition test on the last day of the race?
How it was missed is obviously important here, but not as critical, in my mind, as that it was missed.
Apparently, this is what happened. The US Anti-Doping Authority (USADA) decided in their infinite wisdom that they wanted to do an out-of-competition test on Horner the morning after the Vuelta finished.
However, not having any testing teams in the area, they asked the Spanish authorities to do the tests.
Yet unbeknownst to the Spanish folks, Horner, it seems, had decided to leave the hotel he was registered as staying in on the UCI whereabouts list, and headed to the hotel where his wife was staying before heading back to the States.
The Radioshack team and, more importantly for Horner, the USADA, have stated that the 41-year old had in fact updated the whereabouts list correctly and that the problem arose due to a time lag between the USA and Spain.
Sound Benny Hillesque enough for you? Good, because it truly is a joke.
First of all, why did USADA decide to test to a rider that they knew was more than likely to win the Vuelta after he’d been tested several times in the last days of the race?
Don’t trust the doping officials at the race?
Believe Horner may have something to hide? Or just standard procedure?
I am suggesting not that Horner is doping, but these three possibilities are all exactly that now, possibilities, thanks to the revelation that Horner’s home anti-doping authority sent in a team to test him just right after the event.
The whereabouts system I think is a necessary thing as is the OOC testing, but this just smacks of irresponsibility and disrespect, at best, and a witch hunt at worst – and that, coming from me, says a lot.
Secondly, consider Chris Horner and whomever at Radioshack-Leopard allowed him to change hotels and update the whereabouts system just 24 hours before the morning after the race.
Doesn’t that sound a tad irresponsible also?
The time lag may be the cause of this ruckus, but I feel that in a sport where so much is doubted (because so many have cheated in the past) that an athlete that earns a living and more from that sport has a responsibility to suck up the system and its attendant rules.
A bit like Contador and that beef, which illustrates that an athlete has to be, in this modern era, responsible for every single morsel that goes down his gullet, so too does a cyclist and his team management have to pre-guess the possible cock-ups by the authorities, such as this.
“I want to change hotels and stay with my wife.”
“Er, you know what they’re like Chris, just stay here and you can head home with her tomorrow.”
Simple enough.
But here we are, thanks, I believe, to two irresponsible acts.
The Spanish testing team also screwed up, releasing the story of the no-show of Horner to the Spanish press.
They did state though that after finding another rider asleep in the room at the hotel they believed the Vuelta champion to be in, they went to another hotel and found Horner to be not there either.
RadioShack blame it on the Spanish and are now seeking compensation for the releasing of the story to the media. USADA says Horner did nothing wrong.
Great work fellas, great work. Just what we need.
sittingbison
Guest
Of some concern is the RadioShack official sent the testers to another wrong hotel when the mistake was realised Lee you forgot to label 41yo journeyman Chris Horner as "out of contract" winner of the 2013 Vuelta a Espana. Similar to then completely unknown Dawg who was "out of contract" runner up of the 2011 Vuelta a Espana.
liquor box
Guest
The thing that I found amazing was Horners ability to be out of the saddle for such long amounts of time. This seems so different than other cyclists, is this why he won? is this method the way of the future? The only other cyclist who I have seen do this for a long period of time was in 2012 Porte led Wiggins up a hill for about 3km out of the saddle in Paris Nice . This seemed strangely strong at the time and I must admit that I had big questions about Porte after 2013 TDF.
Omerto Al
Guest
No one else thought it was misleading. The fact is he did actually do the "right thing" in advising the testers, but that's like saying Carl Williams was ok because he paid a parking fine once.
Omerto Al
Guest
That is totally irrelevant, because clearly he has been able to micro-dose or evade the testers for many years. A smokescreen, like the idea that he's a good bloke so can't be a cheat. Wonder what Stuey O thinks?
Omerto Al
Guest
Horner was a Neo pro on the FDJ team 97-99, then 2000-2004 seasons he came back from Europe and absolutely smashed the local races, winning everything. From the year after Lance won his first Tour and around the time that Der Kaiser and Pantani were smashing them as well. Funny that. Then he was at Astana with convicted drug cheats Leipheimer and Armstrong, under Johann Bruyneel. Never saw anything there though. Followed Lance, not seeing anything mind, to radio Shack and again rode under Bruyneel. He is reputed to be Rider 15, so named in Levi Leipheimer's redacted USADA confession. Leipheimer has been very quiet lately, pity. Horner's climb up Angliru in La Vuelta was only slower than doper Roberto Heras (2000), and faster...than a doping Contador (2008), Tonkov & Laiseka (2000), Valverde, Juan Jose Cobo. Faster than dopers in their doping prime periods, simply astounding. Horner's win in a Grand Tour is 5 years older than any other winner, ever. He's taking us all for fools, worse than Landis ever did.
Bones506
Roar Guru
My only point of vriance is on the point of changing hotels. Riders whould not be wed to the Testing - rather their partners - and Horner did what he needed to in line with the rules. This is completely on testers and no one else. I doubt Horner has een uch of his wife over last few weks and after esp afer winning a GC I undertand his reasons for wanting to spend time with his wife.
Rob Gremio
Roar Pro
I am also suspicious of Horner's performance, Omerto Al. I find it a bit hard to believe that a guy who rode with Armstrong and the other teams you rattled off never saw any doping/never participated in doping at a time when EVERYONE on his team was doping (esp. Armstrong). The race up Agliru was fabulous theatre, but the way Horner just skipped away so easily in the last two kms was a bit suss. I would love to believe that he is clean, but it's a pretty tough ask, especially given his past results when in his "prime", and the teams for which he rode.
Omerto Al
Guest
Horner's "performance" is even more ridiculous when you consider Cadel Evans' comments today. He apparently acknowledged that at 38 he is too old for another Grand Tour win... Contrast the Aussie star, who was a precocious kid with great talent, massive VO2 max and an ever present podium chance (but beaten by the dopers) for Tours. Many of those Tours he has lost due to bad days, which is a good sign that if he was doping he's doing it all wrong. Then you have the American journeyman, 41 year old who was never good enough, yet now is probably at his 'physical peak', after having spent years riding for Lance Armstrong as a domestique but denying he ever saw anything (ever), plus a couple of stints at Astana and Saunier Duval (admittedly he left there before Riccardo Riocco, but that same team that was kicked off the 2008 Tour and not invited to the Vuelta that year either, then they went on to hire Cobo...). Horner just recently defended Armstrong and trotted out the line about Lance never testing positive. Horner must be taking us for fools, because there is a massive irony when he himself spun up the Agliru faster than the worst dopers of the past decade. The 'honour' board for fastest times up the Agliru in the Vuelta is only matched by Alpe D'Huez with Pantani and Der Kaiser. After Lance, and the charade that he led and the way he traded off the mistrust he himself created, fans are right to question. When it rides like a duck, rode on a team of ducks...you know what I mean. Really, we are more than entitled to be mad at riders like Horner who defecate all over our sport like he has. Is anyone else sick of having sneers at the water cooler when people know you're that cyclist guy? Apparently though Horner can't be a doper because he's a nice bloke and once gave someone a dink on his bike to the finish of a stage. A total joke.
Lee Rodgers
Expert
Dirk, again you fail to read what I wrote. Here it is again, for your benefit: "The Radioshack team and, more importantly for Horner, the USADA, have stated that the 41-year old had in fact updated the whereabouts list correctly and that the problem arose due to a time lag between the USA and Spain." Thank you.
dirk westerduin
Guest
Lee, you don't like people who mislead other people. You write about a mess we don't need. Clear. However, you are misleading as well. That makes the mess even bigger. Please try to write a column based on facts. Not on parts of facts, wrong assumptions, wrong conclusions. Media and and the US Anti Doping Agency have officially confirmed that Horner didn't make any mistake. He sent an email about his whereabouts to the USDA. This email was confirmed by the USDA, Horner was allowed to stay in another hotel. as such officials could test him in this other hotel, they had the address, everything was in the open. READ BELOW AN ARTICLE IN CYCLING NEWS ON THE MATTER: USADA not counting Horner's anti-doping control as missed By: Cycling NewsPublished: September 16, 19:33, Updated: September 16, 20:26Edition:First Edition Cycling News, Tuesday, September 17, 2013Race:Vuelta a España Do you like this?Chris Horner (RadioShack) has time to laugh Chris Horner (RadioShack) has time to laugh Chris Horner (RadioShack) has time to laughChris Horner (RadioShack) was the strongest rider at the VueltaChris Horner (RadioShack) is helped at the finish view thumbnail gallery Spanish testers not updated with latest whereabouts The US Anti-Doping Agency today confirmed that it would not consider the incident which led recent Vuelta a España winner Chris Horner to not be located by anti-doping controllers as a "missed test". Spokesperson Annie Skinner stated today that Horner had updated his whereabouts properly, but the updated information was not relayed to the Spanish doping control officer. "In response to public statements from Team RadioShack today concerning Chris Horner, USADA can confirm that we were coordinating an out-of-competition test with the Agencia Española de Protección de la Salud en el Deporte (AEA) while Mr. Horner was in Spain. Mr. Horner properly updated his whereabouts information in advance of the test attempt, but given that the information was received in the U.S., the AEA doping control officer on the ground in Spain did not receive the updated information prior to arriving at the hotel. "This is not considered a missed test and neither anti-doping organization provided information to the media regarding this situation. USADA has a strong collaborative relationship with AEA and thanks them for our on-going partnership in protecting the integrity of sport and the rights of clean athletes." The American came under scrutiny as he closed in on becoming the oldest rider to win a Grand Tour by several years, with many questioning how a rider of that age could best champions a decade or more younger. Less than 24 hours after Horner emerged victorious from the Spanish tour, the media in that country published reports of Horner missing a doping control. The RadioShack team was quick to respond that the fault was that of the testers, and not Horner, going so far as to issue a screen grab of the rider's whereabouts update to USADA. Horner is set to compete with the US national team at the UCI road world championships in Florence, Italy next.
Bobo
Guest
Of all the headturning things that have happened in cycling in the last eighteen months, Chris Horner winning a Grand Tour, beating Vincenzo Nibali, is by far the most staggering. Reading Mike Puchowicz' analysis is shattering stuff. As a cyclist and as a cycling fan, I shouldn't be surprised or disappointed by eanything that goes on, but somehow this year has deeply affected my love of the top level of our sport. The slow march of progress from Puerto to Mantova seems like ephemera, and the constant ushering of a new dawn seems like a new backdrop to the same old stage.
Patrick Effeney
Editor
I agree that this is a really bad look for the sport Lee, especially when I saw the story first pop up. But I am willing to give Horner, at least, a break on this. At first I thought it weird he wanted to stay at a separate hotel, but he did alert the right people, and I don't think usada are the types of folks to give people a free pass. I think the authorities screwed up. Terrible look yes. But not a reason for conspiracy for mine (but there are already enough of those anyway).