Amateur Cyclist and Pro Cyclist Girlfriend Banned for Doping.
Jackson Nash was known as a successful cyclist within the amateur circuit, also known for his AMA Pro SuperSport Championship victory within the motorsport circuit. Jackson's road cycling record begins in 2013 at category 5 and he rose to category 1 in 2016. Jackson had a few podium finishes within his career but zero first place finishes at the category 1 level. At the time of his ban, Jackson was racing for team Aminorip Factory Racing.
Jackson's long time girlfriend and New Zealand native Olivia Ray had a much more successful career, recently winning the 2022 Women's National Road Cycling Championships. She raced for the well-known team Human Powered Health, which recently made headlines for not supporting one of their riders when the women's Japanese national championships were canceled due to concerns raised by Eri Yonamine over non-compliance with UCI rules regarding team cars whilst the men's event was allowed to continue. Human Powered Health quietly removed Ray from its roster a few months ago without any public statement.
Olivia Ray winning the 2022 New Zealand Women's National Road Cycling Championships.
Ray has been residing in the US since 2017 and had a very successful career there, signing with Human Powered Health in 2020 and winning the Lion's Den Criterium in 2021. Ray came under investigation by the US anti-doping agency, USADA, soon after an abnormal spurt of victories. In recent interviews, she admitted to the usage of clenbuterol in the off-season to shed weight normally gained during the winter months.
Although the New Zealand Herald is commending Ray for admitting using the substance, it only comes after text messages between her and Nash were warranted and showed discussing using the substance. Ray long denied using the PED, including to police. In a recent interview, Ray states, “Then a couple of days later I get an email from the owner of the team — Charles, who is an amazing guy — with a document that details I have been fired for misconduct, false police report, lying in court, doing banned substances. This was February. Then the team took me off the website. People picked up on that.”
The statement directly from Ray contradicts what the New Zealand Herald was attempting to stir up, calling the cyclist strong for admitting using the substance, when she in fact did not admit until there was irrefutable evidence against her including pictures from a search warrant that displayed the PEDs in her Atlanta apartment.
Jackson, on the other hand, received a much larger punishment following a report by an unknown whistleblower in 2021. Jackson faces a total of seven violations and a lifetime ban from the sport pending and is currently pending legal charges.
Use or Attempted Use of Prohibited Substances, including testosterone, clenbuterol, oxandrolone, and anastrozole
Tampering or Attempted Tampering with any Part of Doping Control by interfering with USADA’s investigation
Possession of Prohibited Substances, including testosterone, clenbuterol, oxandrolone, and anastrozole
Trafficking or Attempted Trafficking of Prohibited Substances clenbuterol and oxandrolone to another athlete
Administration or Attempted Administration of Prohibited Substances human growth hormone, clenbuterol, and oxandrolone to another athlete
Complicity or Attempted Complicity by encouraging another athlete to use prohibited substances
Retaliation by filing a meritless petition for a protective order against an individual based in part on the individual’s report to USADA of Nash’s anti-doping rule violations
Doping is not uncommon in the amateur circuit, but this is one of the first cases where an amateur assisted a pro cyclist in doping at home which led to charges for the duo.