Oscar Freire gives Spain a scare: Family reports former world champion missing, but has been located meanwhile

Oscar Freire has caused a major stir in Spain and the cycling world. The 48-year-old former rider was reported missing by his family on Wednesday, after leaving his home on Monday or Tuesday and failing to return. On Wednesday afternoon, El Diario reported that Freire had been found.

According to Spanish media, Freire had not been seen since Tuesday, before his family reported him missing to the Guardia Civil on Wednesday morning. Freire was back in his hometown of Torrelavega after being at the AlUla Tour a week ago. "It is believed that Freire left his home, leaving behind his keys, wallet, credit cards, and the like," according to El Diario.

The Spanish police immediately launched a search operation, but when the news first broke on Wednesday, Freire had not yet been found. His car had reportedly been located, but the Spanish rider himself was still missing. News of his disappearance only surfaced on Wednesday afternoon, and the efforts quickly led to a successful outcome.

Read more below the photo.

Freire (left) back when he was racing for Rabobank

Freire’s disappearance "should never have been made public"

What exactly happened on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday will likely become clear soon. On Wednesday evening, the Spanish newspaper AS already revealed some additional details. "This is a private matter, and it should never have been made public," was reportedly the stance from Freire’s camp.

At the time of writing, the only confirmed update is that "he is doing well." Meanwhile, Europa Press reported that Freire had left home on Monday after a family argument and that his departure was voluntary. Obviously, these claims are rather speculative.

Read more below the video.

Freire triple world champion

Freire posted another video on Instagram two weeks ago showing him on the road with his son Marcus. The latter is currently racing for the UAE Team Emirates-XRG development team. His father is a cycling legend in Spain. He has become world champion three times, winning Milan-Sanremo three times and Ghent-Wevelgem once.

Freire won four stages in the Tour de France, including the points classification in 2008. He also won six stages in the Vuelta. After 2012, he retired from cycling after spending almost his entire pro career with Rabobank.

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