The Miguel Ángel López ban remains in place after the Swiss Federal Tribunal dismissed his latest appeal. The decision leaves the long-running doping case against the Colombian rider definitively closed.
López, now 32, received a four-year sanction from the UCI Anti-Doping Tribunal in 2024. The case related to allegations from the 2022 Giro d’Italia, when he rode for Astana Qazaqstan.
The tribunal sanctioned him for the use and possession of menotropin, a prohibited substance. Menotropin can stimulate testosterone production.
Miguel Ángel López ban confirmed by Swiss court
López first challenged the UCI decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. CAS upheld the original sanction, leaving the Federal Tribunal as his next legal route.
His appeal argued that the UCI used evidence from a separate investigation in a way that violated his human rights. The Swiss Federal Tribunal rejected that argument and left the four-year ban intact.
The evidence came from CELAD’s Operación Ilex investigation into Spanish doctor Marcos Maynar. Maynar was arrested in 2022 on drug trafficking allegations.
The sanction had already been backdated to July 2023. As a result, López has served a significant portion of the suspension.
He can return to competition on 24 July 2027, when he will be 33. In theory, that gives him a route back to the professional peloton.
Results disqualified and financial penalty imposed
The case also carried further sporting and financial consequences for López. He received a fine equal to 70% of his gross income for 2022.
Authorities also disqualified all his results from 3 May 2022 through 25 July 2023. That period covers the timeframe linked to the case.
When the UCI announced the initial sanction, López denied wrongdoing and signalled his intention to fight the decision. He wrote on X that, in his view, “the offence does not exist” and called the sanction unjustified.
He also said at the time that he would defend his innocence and hoped to return to professional cycling.
The latest ruling appears to end that legal challenge. The Federal Tribunal’s dismissal means the original UCI Anti-Doping Tribunal decision stands.
A Grand Tour stage winner faces a delayed return
López built one of Colombia’s strongest modern stage-racing palmarès before the case halted his top-level career. He has won stages at both the Vuelta a España and the Tour de France.
He also won the Tour de Suisse and Volta a Catalunya, among other major results. Those victories made him one of the most recognisable climbers of his generation.
The Miguel Ángel López ban now runs deep into 2027, limiting his chance to regain a WorldTour place quickly. Any return would come after several years away from the highest level of the sport.
For López, the remaining question is sporting rather than legal. The Swiss ruling confirms the sanction, the results disqualifications, and the timeline for any comeback.