Cycling: A few hours before the team presentation, Team Lampre-Merida announced that it would be starting the Vuelta without defending champion Chris Horner.
According to the team, the 42-year-old is suffering from bronchitis that hasn't really subsided since the Tour de France. Complaints increased during the Tour of Utah. The team doctors felt compelled to prescribe Horner a cortisone cure. The world cycling association UCI gave the go-ahead, but his blood values during the medical check before the Vuelta showed values that are not compatible with those of the MPCC, the association for clean cycling. The values can be explained by the use of cortisone and the jet lag after his flight from the USA.
As a member of the MPCC, the team nevertheless decided not to let Horner take part in the Tour of Spain due to his health. This means that the defending champion has to do without the start.
“Bronchitis has caused me some problems in the past few weeks. [...] Although the UCI allows us to take cortisone and I would be eligible to race, I understand that my team, as a member of the MPCC, made that decision.", Horner said in the team's statement.
The American is replaced by the Italian Valerio Conti.