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Former MotoGP rider Ant West has been provisionally suspended due to a positive doping test, the FIM has announced.
West, who rides a Kawasaki in his own team in the Supersport World Championship, failed an in-competition test conducted at the last round at Misano in July.
The Australian is provisionally suspended until further notice.
The substance in question has not been disclosed at this time.
“The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) has advised Australian rider Anthony West that he is provisionally suspended pursuant to Article 7.9 of the FIM Anti-doping Code (CAD),” read a statement from the governing body.
“The decision to provisionally suspend Mr. West was mandatory following the receipt of a report from the WADA accredited laboratory in Cologne indicating an Adverse Analytical Finding of a non-specified substance under Section 6 (Stimulants) of the 2018 FIM Prohibited List, in a urine sample collected from him at an in-competition test carried out by the FIM at the round of the 2018 FIM Supersport World Championship held in Misano, San Marino, on 8 July 2018.
“Mr. West has the right to request and attend the analysis of his B sample.
“Mr. Anthony West is provisionally suspended with effect from 14 September 2018. He is therefore barred from participating in any motorcycling competition or activity until further notice. Under Article 7.9.3.2 CAD, Mr. West may request lifting of his provisional suspension.
“Under the World Anti-Doping Code and the FIM Anti-Doping Code, the FIM is unable to provide any additional information at this time.”
It is not the first time that West has tested positive for a banned substance.
In 2012, he was found to have taken the stimulant methylhexanamine, a result which initially led to a one-month ban.
He was subsequently slapped with a retroactive 18-month ban which saw him officially stripped of his results during a period from 2012 to 2013, including two Moto2 runner-up finishes, after an appeal against the sentence by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
The 37-year-old was seventh in WorldSSP, a support category to the Superbike World Championship, ahead of its resumption from the long summer break this weekend at Portimao.
