Colombian cyclist Miguel Angel Lopez has been provisionally suspended for a “potential anti-doping rule violation”, the International Cycling Union (UCI) announced in a statement on Tuesday.
“The Colombian rider has been notified of a potential violation of anti-doping rules for use and possession of a prohibited substance in the weeks preceding the Giro d’Italia 2022” specifies the UCI, which has therefore decided to “provisionally suspend the rider pending the final decision”.
Miguel Angel Lopez, 29, third in the Giro and Vuelta in 2018, was due to take part in the world cycling championships in Glasgow (August 3-13) as part of the Colombian national team, and was lined up for the road and time trial.
The UCI explains that it took this decision after an investigation carried out by the International Testing Agency (ITA) on the doctor Marcos Maynar, thanks in particular to evidence “obtained from the Spanish police authorities (Guardia Civil) and from the Spanish National Anti-Doping Organization (CELAD)”.
In December 2022, Angel Lopez was fired by his Astana Qazaqstan team, who explained that they had “discovered new elements showing the probable link” between doctor Marcos Maynar and the Colombian climber.
The Colombian, winner of the Tour of Switzerland in 2016 and the Tour of Catalonia in 2019, had deplored an “abusive and unjustified break”, denying “any allegation that could smear his name and his honor as a professional runner”.
Winner in 2020 of the Col de la Loze stage of the Tour de France, Lopez had already been provisionally suspended for a week by his team after being arrested at Madrid airport on July 22, 2022.
According to the Ciclo 21 site, this arrest took place as part of an investigation targeting the doctor Marcos Maynar for drug trafficking and money laundering.
He was then reinstated in the team due to “the absence of elements found by the Spanish authorities or the International Cycling Union (UCI)” had indicated Astana.
Since the start of 2023, Miguel Angel Lopez has been playing for the third division Team Medellin-EPM, with which he won the Tour de San Juan in Argentina and the Tour de Colombia, in which he won nine of the ten stages.
His current team, Team Medellin-EPM, announced that it “respects” the UCI’s decision and that the rider is leaving the Tour of Panama, in which he has been participating since Sunday.
The training clarified that the runner nicknamed “Superman” has been “subjected to doping controls and surprise samples” since his arrival in early 2023, and that “all the results have been negative”.
