Miguel Angel Lopez suspended by Astana Qazaqstan, rider denies any wrongdoing
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ByEurosport
Updated 22/07/2022 at 14:25 GMT
Miguel Angel Lopez has won a stage at the Tour de France (2020) and three at La Vuelta (2017, 2021). However, he has been suspended by Astana Qazaqstan after a report linked him to doctor Marcos Maynar, who is under investigation by Spanish police. Astana admitted the report “caught us by surprise” and said they “do not have any details”. The rider denied any wrongdoing via his lawyers.
Miguel Angel López
Image credit: Getty Images
Astana Qazaqstan have suspended Miguel Angel Lopez after a report had linked him to a drug trafficking investigation.
His lawyers said to Agencia EFE that he "flatly denies having any relationship/participation in any criminal act related to the distribution of unauthorized medicines or any other product referred to in the news published yesterday," report Eurosport Spain.
A report from Spanish website Ciclo21 linked Lopez to doctor Marcos Maynar, who is under investigation by Spanish police for alleged drug trafficking and money laundering.
According to the report, Lopez was initially a witness in the case but was now being investigated - but this is disputed by Spain's Guardia Civil police force, who told Reuters that Lopez was not being investigated and only had police baggage control at Madrid Airport. The Colombian's lawyers also sent a statement to Agencia EFE in which they flatly denied that he was detained at the Madrid airport.
Prior to Lopez's statement, his team said that they would internally suspend the rider until the facts of the case were clarified.
“The news that was spread in the media yesterday evening caught us by surprise, and at the moment we do not have any details,” read a statement from Astana Qazaqstan on social media.
“In this regard, the team decided to suspend Miguel Angel Lopez from any activity within the team until all the circumstances of the case are clarified.”
Lopez, dubbed ‘Superman’ by his supporters, has won stages at the Tour de France and La Vuelta.
However, he has failed to finish four of his last five Grand Tours, most recently at the Giro d’Italia where he pulled out with a hip injury on Stage 4.
He also quit the 2021 Vuelta with just 20km remaining on the penultimate stage after seeing his podium dreams unravel.
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