Operation Ílex: Anti-Doping includes Miguel Angel Lopez case in trial of Dr. Marcos Maynar

Operation Ílex has taken a new and potentially momentous step forward. CELAD (Spanish Commission for the Fight against Doping in Sport) has managed to include the doping case of Miguel Ángel López in the trial of Dr Marcos Maynar, after the Provincial Court of Cáceres upheld the appeal.

This was reported by Sport and El Contraanálisis. Until now, the judge had not included the distribution of menotropin by 'Superman' López among the punishable acts against the defendants. Now, the appeal by Antidopaje has been admitted, which means that the case could go further.

In one paragraph of the appeal it can be read that one of those implicated in Operation Ílex handed over "four ampoules of the substance called menotropin, which he (Marcos Maynar) received, allegedly to provide them to the cyclist Miguel Ángel López."

The Court has concluded that it is necessary for the Superman Lopez doping case to enter the trial because it forms part of the "factual content of the investigation," as one of the defendants was directly questioned about it during the trial.

What does it all mean? The action of Anti-Doping complicates things for all those involved in Operation Ílex. Even so, Miguel Ángel López does not seem to be affected at a criminal level, but Vicente Belda junior is. Basically, if it is proven that Vicente Belda junior had given the menotropin to Superman López, it could affect him criminally in a very negative way.

It is worth remembering that Miguel Ángel López was already sanctioned by the UCI on 29 May with a four-year ban from competition. The Colombian was detected ‘a prohibited substance’ (menotropin) in the Giro d'Italia 2022. Even so, Superman López has always denied having doped.