The UCI "provisionally suspends" 'Supermán' López for doping

The International Cycling Union (UCI) announced on Tuesday the suspension of Colombian cyclist Miguel Ángel “Superman” López for “use and possession of a prohibited substance in the weeks prior to the 2022 Giro.”

Through an official statement, the international organization reported that the Team Medellín cyclist will be “provisionally” suspended pending a final decision on a final sanction.

The UCI explained that 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)” and during the investigation of Dr.. Marcos Maynar, the cycling organization communicated this Tuesday to Miguel Ángel López “about a possible violation of the anti-doping rules (ADRV)”.

“Following the review of the information and material provided by the ITA on June 26 and July 7, 2023, the Colombian rider has been notified of a possible anti-doping rule violation for use and possession of a prohibited substance in the weeks leading up to the 2022 Giro d'Italia.. The UCI has decided to provisionally suspend the rider pending the final decision,” he added in the aforementioned statement.

Finally, he explained that since January 1, 2021, the operations of the UCI anti-doping program have been delegated to the ITA.. Investigations into potential anti-doping rule violations will therefore be carried out independently by the ITA and, once completed, its result is forwarded to the UCI for results management purposes.