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This article `From The Sidelines`: by Roger Moroney : has been reproduced with the kind permission of HB Today.
CLEAN CUT JOSH NO DRUG SNORTER:
One guy who will know exactly how embattled Kiwi motocrosser Josh Coppins feels is Japanese Superbike pilot Noriyuki Haga.<
Haga had an entire season of valiantly and sucessfully racing his Yamaha YZF750 washed away by testing positive during a test for outlawed drugs.
Haga it transpired, had taken a medication which contained a minute amount of a substance called ephedrine.
Basically he had been unwell so he took some medicine. He did not check the ingredients of the medication which was bought over the counter at a pharmacy. He simply wanted to get well and do his job.
In that medicine was the stuff which a fortnight ago shifted the career of the young Kiwi who is running second in the blue ribbon 250 World Motocross Championship into neutral.
Coppins who suffers from hayfever had been in Italy and discovered he had run out of his regular daily medicine, so he went to a pharmacy (or pharmaceria or whatever they are in Italy) and bought a packet of over-the-counter ProNose.
He took them, as you do, then discovered to his horror in the wake of giving a urine sample at the Austrian GP the little bells that go off when some evil narcotic is detected went off.
Coppins, a clean cut lad who is not in the habit of shooting up, snorting white powder or taking a fistful of speed, would have been initially bewildered…until the explanation of where the pseudo-ephedrine had emerged and was delivered.
While not a chemist, I understand that the substance actually increases the heart rate, which is the last thing a motocrosser needs.
Had Coppins been pinged for harbouring a substance which created artificial strength or stamina then I would suggest he had been a fool and deserved to be struck off…. riders list for the rest of the year and beyond for that matter.
But what he took was a medication intended to control the hayfever he suffers from…nothing more.
Okay, it could be argued that the rules are there in black and white and he should have read the ingredients list on the medication. In terms of the law, as it is spelled out by motorcyclings ruling body, he is banged to rights guilty.
But it is such an unrealistically strict law that does not take into account that certain substances contained in medication in such minuscule amounts do not enhance performance.
The decision that the anti-sniffles contained "banned" substances is ridiculous. Had he taken a dose of cough syrup he would more likely have been pulled up for alcohol abuse as well.
Motorcycling`s ruling body the FIM needs to urgently address what is legal and allowable and what is not. If Coppins is slapped a big fine and lengthy suspension then an injustice will have been done.
By all means ensure that certain drugs are not acceptable… but pick on the ones that actually do enhance a persons normal abilities…not ones that stop you sneezing all over the inside of your visor.
[Bill W: I have read that at the post race press conference in Sweden, after claiming a fine second from the seemingly unstoppable Pichon, Josh stated that if the FIM dish out an unfair punishment for the positive sample caused by his taking `Pro-Nose`, he will consider riding in the US next year.
Maybe that could ultimately prove to be the best thing that ever happened - but not in the best way.]
The hearing is set for 5 or 6 August.
