Riding the Suir Valley Three Day sandwiched between a UCD CC man and a Waterford Racing Club rider. But it was for his unusual riding in a race in the UK where he is from that Michael Ashurst (middle rider) was banned for four months.
A rider in the UK has been suspended from racing for four months, but not because of performance enhancing drugs or hidden motors.
Instead, the sanction has been handed down for a much more unusual reason; joining a race he hadn't entered and heavily influencing the action on behalf of his team mates who were in the breakaway at the time.
Michael Ashurst of Champion System VCUK, who has ridden Kerry Group Rás Mumhan and the Suir Valley Three Day in Ireland, has been suspended for the very unusual role he played in the Frank Morgan Memorial Race in the UK on March 27th.
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The case has been examined by British Cycling’s disciplinary committee, which has handed down the suspension.
According to its ruling, Ashurst did a lot more than join the event on the spur of the moment for a few fast training miles to top up his training at the back of the peloton.
“On 27 March, 2016, Michael Ashurst was not entered in the above event,” the ruling said of the race which began at the North Mersey Business Centre.
“However, Mr Ashurst became involved in the event and undertook some racing moves; chasing down riders and riding to prevent other riders bridging the gap between the breakaway group which contained two of his club mates.
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"Mr Ashurst joined the event after the first six laps and he continued his disruption for approximatelyeight laps.
"Mr Ashurst was asked by riders in the peloton to leave the race, however Mr Ashurst refused.”
The ruling by British Cycling is dated April 19th, though details of the case are only emerging now in the UK cycling media.
Ashurst, who was 13th overall at Rás Mumhan last year, was fined £100 as well as being suspended from racing for four months.
His ban concludes on July 27th, having been backdated to March 28th, the day after he joined the race.
Cycling Weekly reports that after the incident Ashurst had continued to race – as he was entitled to – and indeed had won three times.
The British Cycling ruling set out the regulations covering the bizarre racing incident, which stipulated he could have been suspended for as little as three months or up to two years.
It says “for breaching the code of conduct” suspension ranges for three to 24 months, with the same possible sanction range for dangerous rider and/or compromising the safety of another person.
And for “fixing or improperly influencing the result progress or conduct of an event” the possible suspension range is one to 12 months and a fine from £100 to an unlimited sum.
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