Miguel Ángel López has been banned for 4 years for utilizing a prohibited substance, the UCI has introduced.
The UCI’s anti-doping tribunal discovered the Colombian responsible of an anti-doping rule violation (ADRV) for the use and possession of Menotropin, a banned substance. The fees date again to 2022 when López was competing throughout the Giro d’Italia that yr.
A press launch from the biking world governing physique stated: “In accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code and the UCI Anti-Doping Guidelines, the interval of suspension began on 25 July 2023 and can stay in drive till 24 July 2027.”
In response to the identical launch from the UCI, Menotropin is “a prohibited substance below class S2.2 (Peptide hormones and their releasing elements) of the prohibited listing which is maintained by the World Anti-Doping Company (WADA) and adopted by the UCI.”
Menotropin – additionally known as human menopausal gonadotropin or hMG – is a drug typically used to deal with fertility disturbances.
The UCI defined that as a way to discover the Colombian responsible, the organisation had initiated disciplinary proceedings based mostly on an investigation carried out by the Worldwide Testing Company (ITA), the Spanish Guardia Civil and the Spanish anti-doping organisation (CELAD).
This all pertains to Operation Ilex, a wider investigation carried out into the practices of Dr Marcos Maynar, a college professor who was arrested in 2022 for suspected drug trafficking and cash laundering.
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López, who up till lately was using for Colombian based mostly Continental group Medellin-EPM, has insisted he’s harmless all through his case. On the time of Maynar’s arrest, he was using for the Astana Qazaqstan group.
He was later dropped by Astana – who cited his “possible connection” to the physician within the termination – however then took the group to the Court docket of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over what he stated was an “illegal” breach of his contract.
A latest report into the broader findings of Operation Ilex by Spanish newspaper Marca revealed that skilled cyclists may nonetheless be utilizing strategies, just like these utilized by disgraced former Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, to keep away from constructive outcomes throughout anti-doping assessments.
Privateness legal guidelines in Spain imply that doping controls carried out at athlete’s houses are usually not permitted between 23:00 and 06:00 am. In response to the report, there have been events the place the UCI has been in a position to get hold of particular permission from Spanish authorities to hold out assessments inside these hours, however that has solely been in excessive instances.
In addition to not being permitted to hold out evening time assessments, anti-doping officers can’t go to athletes at weekends.
An nameless anti-doping knowledgeable instructed Marca that riders may effectively be utilizing this technique to keep away from detection.
They stated: “They’ve research wherein they know the way lengthy the substance lasts of their physique and that implies that, for instance, medical doctors can ‘prescribe’ a substance at 11:01 p.m. in order that, at 6:00 within the morning, there is no such thing as a longer a hint in your physique.”
In addition to profitable a stage of the Tour de France, López has additionally gained levels at each the Giro and Vuelta a España. It’s not but recognized whether or not any of his outcomes might be annulled because of the ban and responsible verdict imposed by the UCI.
