From the mountains to the meat counter: Miguel Ángel López waits out ban in the kitchen

Miguel Ángel “Superman” López has traded summit finishes for sirloins while serving a four-year ban from professional cycling, fronting a butcher’s business in Colombia. The 31-year-old has become the public face of Meat Bros, advertising steaks as a way to earn some money during his enforced absence from the peloton.

The Colombian was sanctioned by the UCI in May 2024 for an anti-doping rule violation involving the use and possession of menotropin (human menopausal gonadotropin, hMG) during the 2022 Giro d’Italia. López appealed the decision, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed his case in May 2025, confirming the full suspension through July 2027.

The case forms part of the broader Operation Ilex investigation in Spain into an alleged doping network. The ruling cemented a lengthy spell away from racing during what would typically be prime competitive years. López’s ban will end when he is 33, and a return to professional cycling is considered extremely unlikely, at least at the World Tour level.

In the meantime, López has leaned into entrepreneurship. Promoting a Colombian restaurant called Meat Bros online, he recently wrote it in an Instagram post: “Do you want a cut that’s truly tender and won’t let you down on the grill? At Meat Bros we handle special, selected cuts to guarantee tenderness, freshness and safety in every piece. Here you buy with peace of mind: good handling, a reliable product and advice to help you choose the ideal cut for your recipe (barbecue, griddle, oven). Champion quality.”

Miguel Ángel López debuted in 2015 with Astana Qazaqstan Team, getting his first professional win that same year in the fourth stage of the Vuelta a Burgos. His ascent continued in 2016 as he began winning at the highest level. After a steady start with victories at the Tour de San Luis and Tour de Langkawi, he claimed a prestigious stage win at the Tour de Suisse and triumphed at the classic Milano-Torino.

In 2017, he further expanded his palmarès with a stage at the Tour of Austria, a victory on the iconic Lagunas de Neila climb in Burgos, and two stage wins at the Vuelta a España. During the 2020 season he claimed stage wins at the Volta ao Algarve and the Tour de France. He carried that great shape into 2021 when he moved to Movistar Team, winning an additional stage win at the Vuelta a España and the GC of the Vuelta a Andalucía.

His adventure with Movistar did not last long, and he came back to Astana in 2022. His final professional victory came that year on the fourth stage of the Tour of the Alps. He moved to Colombian Team Medellín-EPM in 2023, and has not raced in two years.