MotoGP: Ant West goes from pleasure to pain
Publication:
Thursday, 1 November, 2012 - 06:57
chiefofficersnet
Ant West was joyous : his second place in Moto2 at the Australian GP at Philip Island was a vindication of his work all season and the faith his team has had in him during a very tough season. But within three days, his world came crashing down around him.
Yesterday, the FIM, motorcycle racing's governing body, found that West had failed a drugs test at the French Grand Prix at Le Mans.
A statement issued by the FIM says
"The sample of Australian Moto2 class rider Anthony West contained Methylhexaneamine, a substance included in ‘S.6b Specified Stimulants’ prohibited in competition, and thereby infringed Art 2.1 of the 2012 FIM Anti-Doping Code.
"Following the hearing of the rider, the CDI decided to disqualify Anthony West from the French round of the 2012 FIM Moto2 World Championship, held on 20 May in Le Mans. In addition, the CDI imposes on the rider a sanction of one month’s period of ineligibility to compete in any meeting authorised or organised by the FIM or any FIM-affiliated federation or body or in any competitions authorised or organised by any international or national level meeting organisation, from 30 October 2012.
"An appeal may be lodged with the International Tribunal of Appeal (TIA) within 5 day as from the notification of the decision."
At Le Mans, riding for QMMF Racing Team, West finished seventh.
In a cruel irony, West rides a bike entered under the manufacturer's name "Speed Up."