Miguel Ángel López gave good news regarding his case in the UCI and in the TAS. The Colombian was fired from Astana for an alleged participation in the doping substance trafficking network of the Spanish doctor Marcos Maynar. The cyclist explained that the UCI has already ruled in his favor.
“Pending the resolution of the dispute that he has with the Astana team in the TAS for considering the unilateral breach of the contract illegal, The UCI has decided to block the bank guarantee of the Kazakh team in the amount of 1,700,000 euros for logical reasons in the cyclist’s claim and guarantee, in the case of obtaining the reason from the TAS, the payment of back wages and damages for possible breach of contract by the Astana Team”.
He also states that he could return to run in Europe, “López, who is currently with Team Medellín and with whom he has a free contract, He does not rule out his return to a World Tour category team to compete again in high competition. Their revenues are not in doubt among the big teams, but the dismissal of the Kazakh team in mid-December 2022 made it difficult for them to join another team.
As the broker announced after his dismissal, his lawyers began the defense that is bearing fruit today, “the Colombian has a team of lawyers specialized in Sports Law who carry out a process after your dismissal before the Sports Arbitration Court (TAS) in Switzerland, understanding that there are no reasons for the termination of his contract.
In the statement, it is also confirmed that Superman is not investigated in the Maynar case and has authorization to compete in any WT team. “His alleged link between him and Dr. Marcos Maynar, investigated in the Ilex operation by the Spanish courts for an alleged drug distribution plot dedicated to doping, loses force by not appearing as investigated in the judicial proceedings.. Who is being investigated is Vicente Belda García, masseuse of the Astana team and alleged recipient of the medicines of Dr. Maynar LópezHe has passed the anti-doping biological passport controls with flying colors and has full authorization to compete in any team after his renewed UCI license for the year 2023.
The rider could soon return to the World Tour, “the cleanliness and transparency in the controls of the Colombian climber and the response of the UCI point to the prompt clarification of the facts and a close return of Miguel Angel “Superman” López to the highest competition of world cycling.
This season, López has won the classic Ciudad de Villeta, the Vuelta a San Juan, the national time trial and the Tour of Tolima and prepares for the Pan American Games, the Tour of Turkey and the Tour of Greece.