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From - il coppini:
Hi there.
I know it's been a while since I talked to you. I was planning on
doing a regular column but I threw that out the door as the season got just
too busy.
I'Il do my best to squeeze three months into a couple of pages.
Well first things first, Austria GP where I tested positive to a banned substance. I say a banned substance cos I can't pronounce it let alone spell it! Hell I don' t even know what it does to you.
Sorry that's a lie, I studied it up after I realised it was about to wreck my career. I went on to win the court case, found not guilty of doping . that was the main thing for me, even though it cost me a fortune.
I'm going to explain how it happened as a lot of people still don't know.
I was
at Levane in Italy, at Carrado Maddii's workshop training and riding after
the GP at Castiglioni del Lago. I ran out of my normal hay fever tablets so
I went to
the local pharmacy and asked for some new ones.
The lady offered me three choices. I said I need one that is ok for doping control as I am a sportsman. She said these ones are ok! I took them, and they had in them the chemical I tested positive to.
Once I found out I shit myself! All this stuff was going through my mind. I was thinking, how's this possible? I couldn't work out how this substance had got into my system. I went over what I had eaten etc as I couldn't think how it could happen.
After the pharmacy admitted to the mistake and after a lot of stress, I had the court case. It was tough racing while all this was going on, many times I'd be out training and my mind would go back to the case: I'd be 10 minutes into a moto ride and I'd have to stop, I just couldn't concentrate. But my mechanic Fabio was great, he stuck by me all the way.
I still managed some good results though, getting podiums all the time. This was a good way for me to prove I was innocent! I still can't help but think I would have been racing a lot faster if i didn't have all that shit on my mind, but we can always say what if.
After this my team started to fall apart!
That's another story I'll tell
you about when I understand what happened. Still, I got through all that to
finish second in the championship and I'm pretty proud of that.
All through the year there has been a lot of talk about next year when the 450 4-strokes come up against the 250 2-strokes. As for me I don't know yet exactly which bike I'll ride, I'm still thinking on that. But I can't wait for next year, I think the racing is going to be awesome . instead of 3 or 4 guys going at it I think there will be 7 or 8. Good for the spectators, sponsors and riders,
While we're talking about next year, I will be riding for CAS Honda from the UK. I like the Honda and I'm looking forward to working with a team I have faith in and one that I can trust.
We are already well into testing and setting things up for next year. I like to do a lot of that now while I'm still race-fit and then I can relax when I take my holiday knowing everything is sorted for next season.
Right now I was meant to be in California for the MX of Nations. I can't say how pi#@}@ off I am about not going. It's no secret that soon I'd like to race fulltime in the US and I was really looking forward to racing with the best of them at Competition Park. It's really been a mess, I feel sorry for all those people who were put out by all the problems.
I've got two races to go for this year before my break: the last rounds of
the British Championship and the Italian Championship.
In the Italian I am
just one point off the lead and I need to beat Alex Chiodi at Asti to take
the title.
Well I'm tired and I'm going to bed. I hope this is interesting for you because much of it has been a nightmare for me.
Take care and ride safe.
Josh #2
