New Zealand motocross star Josh Coppins has been suspended by his Vismara Honda team after providing a positive sample in a drugs test conducted at the Austrian Grand ♋Prix.

The 🐬Kiwi, who has proved to be runaway points leader Mickael Pichon's most consistent rival after a string of podium finishes, was alleged to have had six times the legal limit of the stimulant pseudoephedrine in his system at the time of🔜 the test.

The Vismara team expressed its shock at the result, a♉nd reacted to the news of its rider's failure to provide a clean sample by issuing the following statement:

"Followi꧂ng yesterday's press release [by the] FIM, which announces the positiveness of the rider Joshua Coppins to the anti-doping controls effected in date 9 June 2002 at the circuit of Karntenring in Austria, the T𝔍eam Vismara Honda declares its proper amazement for what happened.

"Therefore, starting from today the team suspends the athlete Joshua Coppins from the race activity, while waiting for the definitive verdict of the International Jury, that we believe it will be taken ༺in the supreme interest of the sport."

Coppins finished third in the Aus﷽trian race, and again in Bulgaria on Sunday, both times behind race winner Pichon.