The International Cycling Union (UCI) made a drastic decision regarding the Colombian cyclist Miguel Ángel López, who was being investigated for an alleged doping case.
“On the basis of an investigation carried out by the International Testing Agency (ITA), which includes evidence obtained from the Spanish police authorities (Guardia Civil) and the Spanish Anti-Doping Organization (CELAD) during the investigation of Dr. Marcos Maynar, the UCI has today notified Miguel Ángel López of a possible anti-doping rule violation (ADRV)”, reported the ICU.
The Colombian cyclist, who today runs with Team Medellín, was notified by the UCI about a possible violation of anti-doping regulations for use and possession of a prohibited substance in the weeks prior to the 2022 Giro d’Italia.
Consequently, the UCI decided to provisionally suspend Miguel Ángel López while awaiting the final decision. In the statement, the governing body noted that, from 1 January 2021, the operations of the UCI anti-doping program have been delegated to the ITA.
Investigations into potential anti-doping rule violations are therefore carried out independently by the ITA and, once completed, their result is forwarded to the UCI for results management purposes. explained the Cycling Union.
This suspension implies that the Colombian cyclist must stop all his cycling activities, both with Team Medellín and with the national team, which was preparing to compete in the World Cup.
Despite having faced investigations and having been demoted this year, López had had an outstanding performance. He won the Vuelta a Colombia title with an outstanding performance and took gold in the time trial at the Central American Games. In addition, this week, he was competing in the Tour of Panama.
The case of Miguel Ángel López dates back to the year 2022 when his previous team, Astana, terminated his contract in December 2022. Since then, his name has been linked to an investigation into the trafficking of prohibited drugs in Spain, known as Operation Ilex.
In that investigation, the doctor Marcos Maynar Mariño expressed his approach to the cyclist, recommending the use of Actovegin, a substance known as the ‘EPO of the poor’.
“He recommended to the runner the use of Actovegin, known as the ‘EPO of the poor’, and which makes the heart muscle suffer less during the effort, a substance that is not on the doping lists, therefore, it is not doping”, he said at the time.