Miguel Ángel López doping ban upheld by Swiss Federal Tribunal

The Swiss Federal Tribunal has rejected an appeal by Colombian cyclist Miguel Ángel López, upholding a four-year suspension for the use and possession of a prohibited substance. The ruling confirms the decision previously made by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), effectively closing the case.

López is banned until July 24, 2027. The sanction also includes the annulment of all competitive results achieved between May 3, 2022, and July 25, 2023, along with a fine totaling 70 percent of his gross cycling income from 2022.

The case originated from evidence gathered during ‘Operation Ilex,’ an investigation into Spanish doctor Marcos Maynar regarding the trafficking of unauthorized medications. Authorities intercepted a package addressed to López containing menotropina, a prohibited peptide hormone, during the 2022 Giro d'Italia. While López argued that the evidence obtained by Spanish anti-doping authorities was illicit, the Swiss court ruled that the CAS was entitled to rely on the findings.