Motorcycling-'Maniac' Iannone's doping ban extended to four years

Iannone appealed to CAS, while the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) asked the court to lengthen the ban to four years. "The CAS Panel rejected the appeal filed by Andrea Iannone and upheld the appeal filed by WADA," CAS said in a statement.

Italian MotoGP rider Andrea Iannone has been banned for four years after testing positive for a banned steroid, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said on Tuesday.

The sport's governing body FIM had initially imposed an 18-month suspension after Iannone tested positive for the steroid Drostanolone at last year's Malaysian Grand Prix. Iannone appealed to CAS, while the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) asked the court to lengthen the ban to four years.

"The CAS Panel rejected the appeal filed by Andrea Iannone and upheld the appeal filed by WADA," CAS said in a statement. "Andrea Iannone is sanctioned with a period of ineligibility of four years commencing on 17 December 2019."

Iannone, nicknamed "The Maniac", joined Aprilia in 2018 but struggled to match team mate Aleix Espargaro for most of last season.