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Chris Horner withdraws from Vuelta a España due to low cortisone levels Chris Horner withdraws from Vuelta a España due to low cortisol levels
(35 minutes later)
The last-minute withdrawal of Chris Horner from the Vuelta a España on Friday morning from this year’s race was a complex matter which put the perennial issue of the use of cortisone for medical reasons back into the spotlight. The 42-year-old defending champion was pulled out owing to low cortisol levels following his use of the drug by prescription to treat a lung issue that has dogged him since the Tour de France. The last-minute withdrawal of Chris Horner from the Vuelta a España on Friday morning from this year’s race was a complex matter which put the perennial issue of the use of cortisone for medical reasons back into the spotlight. The 42-year-old American defending champion was pulled out owing to low cortisol levels following his use of the drug by prescription to treat a lung issue that has dogged him since the Tour de France.
Horner was given a therapeutic use exemption by the UCI on 15 August but the cortisone treatment resulted in a lowering of his cortisol levels below the threshold stipulated as “healthy” by the Movement for Credible Cycling, of which Lampre-Merida are a member. Cortisol is the naturally occurring substance which is affected by intake of cortisone; low cortisol levels can affect the body’s ability to recover in the event of a medical issue such as a crash, hence the stipulation of a “healthy” threshold. Horner was given a therapeutic use exemption by the UCI on 15 August but the cortisone treatment resulted in a lowering of his cortisol levels below the threshold stipulated as “healthy” by the Movement for Credible Cycling, of which his Lampre-Merida team are a member. Cortisol is the naturally occurring substance which is affected by intake of cortisone; low cortisol levels can affect the body’s ability to recover in the event of a medical issue such as a crash, hence the stipulation of a “healthy” threshold.
“After the finish of the Tour and the Tour of Utah, Chris Horner underwent two examinations by two specialists for his bronchitis, both agreed that a treatment of cortisone by oral means was the only way to resolve this problem,” said his Lampre-Merida team’s doctor on their website.“After the finish of the Tour and the Tour of Utah, Chris Horner underwent two examinations by two specialists for his bronchitis, both agreed that a treatment of cortisone by oral means was the only way to resolve this problem,” said his Lampre-Merida team’s doctor on their website.
Horner was left with no option but to withdraw, although under UCI rules, he could have competed. “I could race under UCI rules but my team are a member of the MPCC and I must accept the situation without regrets” he said. Horner was left with no option but to withdraw, although under UCI rules he could have competed. “I could race under UCI rules but my team are a member of the MPCC and I must accept the situation without regrets,” he said.
The episode underlined the lack of consistency over the administration of cortisone, which is a widely used anti-inflammatory, but which is also performance-enhancing, and has a long history of abuse within cycling.The episode underlined the lack of consistency over the administration of cortisone, which is a widely used anti-inflammatory, but which is also performance-enhancing, and has a long history of abuse within cycling.
One contradiction is that there is no compulsion to join the MPCC and not all teams do so – Team Sky are one who have not. That means the playing field is not entirely level because MPCC teams are subject to extra testing for cortisol and occasionally find themselves having to pull riders from events as in this case.One contradiction is that there is no compulsion to join the MPCC and not all teams do so – Team Sky are one who have not. That means the playing field is not entirely level because MPCC teams are subject to extra testing for cortisol and occasionally find themselves having to pull riders from events as in this case.
The UCI have already tightened their procedures for issuing TUEs in recent months after Chris Froome was at the centre of a controversy over his use of the corticosteroid prednisolone for breathing problems in April. The whole question is to be re-examined again in conjuction with WADA over the winter, the UCI president Brian Cookson told the Guardianin July. The UCI has already tightened its procedures for issuing TUEs in recent months after Chris Froome was at the centre of a controversy over his use of the corticosteroid prednisolone for breathing problems in April. The whole question is to be re-examined again in conjunction with Wada over the winter, the UCI president Brian Cookson told the Guardianin July.