Bernardo Winery Hotels|"Chris Horner Misses Doping Test After Hotel Mix-up"

Source           :      theguardian.com
Category      :     Bernardo Winery Hotels
By                :     Chris Horner
Posted By   :     Hotels in Virginia Beach North Courtyard

Bernardo Winery Hotels

The US rider Chris Horner missed a random doping test on Monday after the Spanish Anti-Doping Agency (AEPSAD) officials went to a wrong hotel looking for the newly crowned Vuelta a España champion, according to his team. "The testers came to the team hotel, Horner was not there, he was in the hotel where his wife was staying," said a RadioShack press officer. "It's mentioned in the whereabouts form, they got the wrong hotel. Horner had changed his hotel. It was the Spanish agency that came on behalf of Usada [the US Anti-Doping Agency]." An AEPSAD spokesman said the agents had gone to the hotel address provided by the US agency early on Monday. They checked another hotel but Horner was not there either and AEPSAD admitted they did not know his then whereabouts. "We do not want to make any kind of judgment about whether this was a violation of the rules as we do not have all the facts," he said.

RadioShack later issued a statement, accompanied by screenshots of emails sent by the American, to clarify that the Spanish Anti-Doping Agency is at fault. "Chris Horner updated his whereabouts with United States Anti-Doping Agency before the start of the final stage," the statement read. "He gave USADA the name of his hotel for the night, phone number and room number for his one-hour window between 6 to 7am. "This is all according to the rules and Chris Horner received a confirmation email. The anti-doping inspectors from the Spanish Anti-Doping Agency that were asked to do the test by USADA showed up at the wrong hotel in Madrid, where the team was staying, but Horner was obviously not to be found."

RadioShack are frustrated that news of the missed test was made public. "The team believes the communication between the Spanish Anti-Doping Agency and the media is a violation of the privacy of Chris Horner, especially since it comes down to a clear mistake by the tester," the statement added. "The team will seek compensation for this matter with the responsible anti-doping agencies." Horner, who will be 42 next month, became the oldest Grand Tour champion and the first American winner of the Tour of Spain when he sealed victory on Sunday for the biggest win of his 19-year career.

Source : theguardian.com/sport/2013/sep/16/chris-horner-vuelta-doping-test