The Spanish justice is studying whether Miguel Ángel López doped: "He recommended the use of the 'EPO of the poor' to the rider"
Cycling
There is no leak to date since there is summary secrecy, but the future of Miguel Ángel López is being decided these days in Cáceres. The Spanish justice is deciding in what is known as the 'Maynar Case' whether or not there was a doping network as denounced by the UCO (the Central Operative Unit of the Civil Guard).
Last week the two main investigators on the case, the former sports director of Kelme Vicente Belda and his son Vicente Belda García, testified again. Their testimonies are what would endanger the future of Miguel Ángel López if they declare that the current Team Medellín rider was involved in the alleged network.
Thus, according to the UCO, the Belda would have been "intermediaries and recruiters of clients of the doping network presumably headed by the doctor Marcos Maynar. Vicente Belda Jr. was a physio in the Astana Qazaqstan Team until he was fired for being investigated in the Operation Ilex.
According to the Civil Guard, there would be a network of illegal distribution of "medicinal" substances and the manufacture of substances prohibited in sport.
MIGUEL ANGEL LOPEZ
That is where Miguel Ángel López would enter into this whole framework, since the Colombian was fired from Astana for his "probable connection" with Maynar. Superman has denied the facts and has denounced Astana for unfair dismissal. The TAD has opened a process to verify whether or not it is true that the termination from the Kazakh team was legal or not.
We will see if López is finally involved in a case in which, as indicated by the UCO, consumption plans for substances prohibited by the UCI were distributed and detailed.
Maynar denied at the time that he gave López any illegal medication: "He recommended to the runner the use of Actovegin, known as the ' EPO of the poor', and that makes the heart muscle suffer less during the effort, a substance that does not It is on the doping lists, therefore it is not doping."
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Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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Este domingo, Miguel Ángel López estrenó su uniforme de campeón Nacional 🇨🇴 en la Vuelta a Formosa. ¿Qué tal el diseño del @team_medellin?
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