The FIM “SAY NO! TO DOPING” campaign for 2018 was launched at the first FIM MotoGP World Championship event of the season at the Losail International Circuit in Doha, Qatar. The FIM Medical Director, Dr David McManus and the FIM Anti-Doping Coordinator, Evelyne Magnin held a series of briefings for the riders in Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP.
The briefings highlighted the rationale for the FIM Anti-Doping campaign. In particular, they pointed out the dangers of doping, emphasising the potential adverse effects on the health of the riders. Some examples of prohibited substances were presented by way of illustration.
The riders were given an explanation of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP), Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) process and the Anti-Doping Administration Management System (ADAMS).
They were also introduced to the Anti-Doping e-learning platform (ADeL) and encouraged to participate in the ALPHA program (Athlete Learning Program about Health and Anti-Doping).
There was keen interest on the part of the riders who took an active part in the sessions. The MotoGP riders in particular asked a number of questions and engaged in lively discussions with the presenters, demonstrating a good understanding of the issue of doping in sport as a whole.
The riders expressed their support for the FIM’s efforts to prevent and eradicate doping in motorcycling sport through education, testing and participation in the various initiatives launched by the FIM.
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO Dorna Sports, commented: “The FIM and Dorna have been working very closely these past seasons on this subject. It’s something that’s very important to both of us and especially to the FIM as the sporting and disciplinary authority of the World Championship. As the sport has developed, the physical aspect is now one of the most significant for all classes and we feel that it’s important to give riders a good education about anti-doping both on the track and off.”
The FIM Anti-Doping coordinator, Evelyne Magnin, demonstrated a range of supporting material and concluded by thanking the riders who contributed to the campaign, including Aaron Canet, Joan Mir and Dani Pedrosa. Addressing all the riders, she said: “You deserve a clean sport to protect your health and preserve your integrity. The FIM will be organising some workshops and educational activities during the season in all its disciplines.”
The FIM Medical Director, Dr David McManus, said: “This briefing is a very welcome opportunity to interact with the riders and emphasise the health implications of doping and the benefits of the FIM Anti-Doping campaign, particularly at the beginning of the season. We were encouraged and impressed by the participation of the riders and their commitment to the campaign and the promotion of a clean sport. We would like to extend a special thanks to Dorna for supporting the FIM “Say no! to doping campaign”.
FIM Communications