Spain’s anti-doping agency violated Horner’s privacy, team says

Spain’s Aepsad antidoping agency violated 2013 Vuelta a España winner Chris Horner’s privacy by telling the media that the U.S. cyclist missed a drug test here early Monday, team RadioShack said.

Aepsad personnel assigned to test Horner at the request of the U.S. AntiDoping Agency, or USADA, went to the wrong hotel in Madrid, according to RadioShack.

“The team believes the communication between the Spanish Antidoping 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,” RadioShack said in a statement.

“Chris Horner updated his whereabouts with USADA before the start of the final stage, giving the agency the name of his hotel for the night, phone number and room number for his one hour window between 6 and 7 AM. This is all according to the rules and Chris Horner received a confirmation email,” the team said.

The statement was accompanied by images of the cited emails.

Urging the media “to report correctly on this matter,” RadioShack said it planned to seek “compensation” in the case.

Aepsad said its testers went to team RadioShack’s hotel in Madrid early Monday to carry out a postcompetition check on Horner.

The rider was not staying with the rest of the team and the testers also failed to find him at another hotel in the capital, Aepsad said.

His victory Sunday in the Vuelta a España made Horner, 41, the oldest rider to win one of cycling’s major tours and the first U.S. competitor to triumph in the Spanish event.