Drivers and teams – Iannone suspended four years for doping, his MotoGP vacant at Aprilia – Occasions APRILIA

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Iannone suspended four years for doping, his MotoGP vacant at Aprilia

Drivers and teams - Iannone suspended four years for doping, his MotoGP vacant at Aprilia - Occasions APRILIA

Andrea Iannone – suspended since the start of the season for doping with steroids – receives an extremely heavy sentence of four years (!) Of ban from participating in all motorcycle competitions, which practically marks the end of the career of the Italian MotoGP rider 31 years old… Reminder of the facts and decryption.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled against Andrea Iannone, who launched a reaction to her 18-month suspension applied at the end of March by the Disciplinary Court of the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) for anti-doping rule violation.

  • MNC of February 24, 2020 : Still suspended for doping, Iannone misses tests at Sepang
  • MNC of January 23, 2020: 
  • MNC file : 

Due to lack of sufficient evidence in favor of the native of Vasto (Italy), his appeal was finally rejected by the CAS arbitrator panel. Worse: the high sports authority agrees with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which had also appealed for its sanction to be downright increased to four years of jail suspension !  

Andrea Iannone, who claims his innocence since his positive test during the Malaysian GP 2019, will no longer be able to drive in competition before the end of 2023 (his sentence takes effect from "December 17, 2019") … The transalpine – fantastic, excessive , but damn talented and rather sympathetic – will then be 34 years old: rebounding in motorcycle racing will be very difficult for him, especially with such a business card…

Coup de grace: all his results obtained "from November 1, 2019" are officially invalidated with all the ensuing consequences: "loss of all medals, points and prizes", specifies the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which had met October 15 to deliberate on this thorny case. 

Doped without knowing it of his own free will ?!

Recall that n ° 29 had been found guilty of ingesting Drostanolone, an anabolic steroid placed on the list of doping products of the World Anti-Doping Agency. Sanctioned by the FIM, the Italian was forced to give up the handlebars of his Aprilia RS-GP to test driver Bradley Smith and young Italian Lorenzo Savadori.

 Drivers and teams - Iannone suspended four years for doping, his MotoGP vacant at Aprilia - Occasions APRILIA

Strongly supported by Aprilia, "The Maniac" has always said he was innocent of these heavy accusations: Iannone, also author of a superb victory over Ducati at the 2016 Austrian GP, ​​justifies the presence of this prohibited substance by contamination from of meat he would have eaten during his stay in Malaysia.

Iannone defends the idea of ​​meat from breeding stuffed with anabolics to accelerate their growth. This thesis of accidental contamination is not new: last February, the international tennis federation lifted the proceedings against Robert Farah – world number 1 in doubles – for this reason (a contaminated "steak" which would have been caught in the Colombian racquet fillets).

 Drivers and teams - Iannone suspended four years for doping, his MotoGP vacant at Aprilia - Occasions APRILIA

Cyclist Alberto Contador was also cleared on the grounds of accidental contamination during a positive test for Clenbuterol, a product used to treat asthma in racehorses. And we can count on the kings of the pedal not to dope "without knowing it of their own accord" (special dedication to Richard Virenque!).

Andrea Iannone had also argued the results of a negative hair test, as well as his journey free of all forms of doping accusations. Elements which seemed sufficiently convincing to justify his appeal to the CAS…

Iannone found guilty for failing to prove her innocence 

But two problems have accumulated: on the one hand, the rather spectacular evolution of his muscle mass, proudly exhibited on social networks. This development – justified by the Italian by intense bodybuilding sessions – works against him, while fueling the suspicion of using steroids. 

The former Suzuki rider (in 2017 and 2018) claims for his part to have lifted cast iron to be at the top of his MotoGP, but also for his secondary activities: modeling. Solicited by brands of (under) clothing, Andrea poses indeed regularly by revealing his impressive biscotos…

Another concern, much more compromising in the eyes of justice: the teammate of Aleix Espargaro has never been able to provide tangible evidence of his "intoxication" by meat contaminated with steroids… 

However, as unfair as it seems, it is up to the athlete to substantiate his non-guilt in this type of procedure: the presumption of innocence does not work. In short: an athlete suspended for doping is found guilty as long as he has not proven his innocence, something that Iannone would not have managed to do. 

"The CAS panel notes that Andrea Iannone on the one hand did not mention the precise type of meat consumed", explains the official authority. "Moreover, neither Andrea Iannone nor the experts could demonstrate any problem with Drostanolone contamination of meat in Malaysia. The panel therefore concluded that there had been a violation of the rules.".

The Court of Arbitration for Sport, however, admits "the possibility that contaminated meat would actually be at the origin of this offense", but nevertheless cuts to the quick on the pretext that "it is up to the pilot to provide convincing evidence and that Andrea Iannone is unable to demonstrate that this was not an intentional act ".

The jury therefore validates the sentence of "deliberate violation of the anti-doping rules", at the origin of his four-year suspension. "The CAS annuls the decision rendered by the FIM International Disciplinary Court dated March 31, 2020 (which had imposed an 18-month suspension, Editor’s note) and imposes a four-year suspension period on Andrea Iannone".

Who to replace Iannone in 2021 ?

This sad affair revives activity around the last handlebars available in MotoGP for 2021: that of Aprilia, so far "dotted" for next season. Two drivers are in the ranks: Cal Crutchlow, ousted from Honda-LCR by Alex Marquez, as well as Andrea Dovizioso, from Ducati.

  • MotoGP European GP: 
  • MotoGP European GP : 

The Italian, however, informed the European GP that a conversion to motocross competition was part of his strong tracks, also ruling out the possibility of becoming a MotoGP development rider. "No driver dreams of becoming a test driver," says "Dovi". To be continued: stay connected !

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