Horner releases biological passport results

Ten days after becoming the first American to win the Vuelta a España, as well as the oldest ever Grand Tour champion, Chris Horner (RadioShack Leopard) released all of his biological passport results on his personal website.

"As a proponent of releasing his SRM power data for fans throughout his partnership with SRM, Chris feels that releasing this additional information will allow fans to feel confident in his victory at the Vuelta a España and the current state of the sport of cycling," read a statement on his site.

The UCI's biological passport program began in 2008, and the 41-year-old Horner has provided the results of all of his tests since its inception. Horner was tested 39 times all together consisting of three tests in 2008, eight tests in 2009, nine tests in 2010, four tests in 2011, eight tests in 2012 and seven tests thus far in 2013.

Horner was tested four times during his Vuelta victory - August 29, September 3, September 7 and September 14 - and was also tested once (August 22) two days prior to the Spanish Grand Tour's start on Saturday, August 24.

Horner's release follows the example of Lance Armstrong who published his blood values in 2009, to a flurry of scrutiny, after coming out of retirement. That release would eventually backfire on him when experts looked at the data and said that there was evidence he was doping. Armstrong would cease publication of his blood values.

With the downfall of Armstrong following the publication of USADA's Reasoned Decision last October, this year's Grand Tour winners faced an added level of scrutiny as to whether their performances could be believed. 2013 Tour de France winner Chris Froome faced a near daily litany of questioning for two weeks in post-stage press conferences while he held the yellow jersey and now attention turns to Horner with his Vuelta victory over 2013 Giro d'Italia champion Vincenzo Nibali.

Fuel was seemingly added to the fire when initial reports stated that Horner had missed an out of competition anti-doping test the morning after his victory, which was confirmed to be a mix-up on the part of the testing agencies who went to the wrong hotel. Horner, though, upon returning to the United States would not answer Cyclingnews' questions concerning whether he was a redacted name in USADA's Reasoned Decision.