Miguel Ángel López forced to finally serve his doping suspension as he runs out of options

For many years, López was a popular climber who racked up 22 victories during his active career. These included stage wins in the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España, and he also finished third once in both the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta. He also won the young rider classification in both Grand Tours and consistently performed well in week-long stage races.

However, the Colombian, now 32, has not raced since 2023. In 2022, it was revealed that he had tested positive for the use of Menotropin, a hormonal medication, during that year’s Giro d’Italia. His team, Astana, immediately suspended him, though López did find a team where he could race in 2023 with Team Medellín-EPM.

However, all of his results from the 2022 Giro (officially May 3) through the official ruling in his case on July 25, 2023, were annulled. López was not only accused of using banned substances, but was also constantly linked to “doping doctor” Marcos Maynar and the Spanish police’s Operación Ilex investigation.

It all began in 2022, when the Spanish Guardia Civil intercepted a package containing Menotropin addressed to López. In May 2024, the UCI ruled that López was found guilty of violating anti-doping rules through the use and possession of a prohibited substance. In addition to a four-year suspension and the annulment of his results, he was also fined a massive amount.

The Colombian climber did not give up and took his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The court reviewed the entire case once again and , in May 2025, concluded that the UCI was in the right. López had one last chance: taking the case to the Federal Tribunal. According to him, the evidence obtained was not legally valid, nor was the fine—70 percent of his 2022 income.

Unfortunately for López, the Swiss Federal Court also ruled on August 19 of this year that the appeal must be dismissed. The UCI was within its rights to use the evidence presented by CELAD (the Spanish anti-doping agency) in the case. No errors were made by the various authorities that reviewed the evidence.

López argued that the CELAD evidence may have been obtained unlawfully, but the Federal Tribunal does not consider this proven and states that “establishing the truth was of primary importance.” López will therefore have to serve the remainder of his suspension until the summer of 2027. Furthermore, he will indeed have to pay the fine imposed, even though the UCI acknowledges that it is “a substantial amount.”