Jack Bobridge charged with selling MDMA

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Former rider Jack Bobridge has been charged by police in Perth, Australia after he was caught as part of an undercover operation. Bobridge appeared in court on Thursday charged with six counts of “selling significant quantities of MDMA” and could face prison, according to Perth Now.

The 28-year-old Bobridge spent seven seasons racing as a professional on the road, racing with Garmin, Orica-GreenEdge, Blanco and Trek-Segafredo. He won two national road race titles in 2011 and 2016 and won stages of the Tour Down Under and the Eneco Tour. The majority of Bobridge’s success came on the track, where he began his career, winning three world titles, four Commonwealth gold medals, and two Olympic silver medals in the team pursuit.

Bobridge called time on his career at the end of 2016 after battling with rheumatoid arthritis for several years. The condition caused pain across Bobridge’s back, feet and hands, which was exacerbated by the heavy training schedule required. Originally from Adelaide, Bobridge moved to Perth after his retirement and opened a gym.

Bobridge was arrested on Wednesday in his home in the Perth suburb of Yokine. Perth Now reports that as many as six unmarked police cars turned up to his home with sniffer dogs. He spent the night in police custody before appearing in court on Thursday charged with selling MDMA. His arrest came after a lengthy undercover operation across several Perth suburbs, the court was told. He has been accused of selling the drugs between March and July of this year, with one batch reportedly containing as many as 146 pills.

Bobridge has been released on a 10,000 AUD bail and has had to surrender his passport and promise not to leave the state. He has also been banned from talking to his co-accused in the case. He will return to court in September, and if he is found guilty, then a prison sentence has been described as “inevitable.”