Miguel Ángel López – aka “Superman” – saw more turbulence Wednesday when officials dismissed his appeal against a doping ban.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) formally upheld the four-year period of ineligibility that was slapped onto López by the UCI in July 2023.
The controversial Colombian was charged with possession and use of banned substance Menotropin while riding the 2022 Giro d’Italia with Astana-Qazaqstan.
López was promptly booted from his Kazakh team before he found a career lifeline in 2023 with Team Medellin-EPM, where he ran riot through lower-tier racing in North and South America.
The UCI ban brought López crashing out of the Colombian team – and all other sanctioned racing – that summer.
The CAS ruling this week means the 31-year-old will not be able to race until July 2027 at the earliest.
The full statement from CAS can be read here.
From grand tour promise to Disney World dope testing
The news Wednesday marks another wild twist in the tale of López’s pro career.
His third-place finishes at both the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España in 2018 marked him as one of the new generation of Colombian superstars.
After years hustling for a trip back to the grand tour podium, López hit the headlines in the worst way – his mind-boggling mid-race mutiny at the 2021 Vuelta a España.
López’s then-team Movistar fired him soon afterward, and he re-signed with Astana-Qazaqstan for 2022.
The Menotropin meltdown and the move to Medellin followed soon after.
And that’s not all.
In recent years, López has also been linked to a drug trafficking ring, taken hostage by bandits, and subjected to drug testing while on holiday at Disney World in Florida.
In brighter news: Contract extensions for Lippert, Yates, Landa, Großschartner
Also Wednesday, UAE Emirates-XRG, Movistar Women, and Soudal Quick-Step pinned down some key talents.
“Team Tadej” UAE Emirates extended the deal of two crucial grand tour lieutenants.
Mountain superdomestique and Giro d’Italia contender Adam Yates extended through 2028. His teammate Felix Großschartner also wangled himself an extension with the UAE superteam through 2027.
Meanwhile, German supertalent Lianne Lippert confirmed she will remain with Movistar Women through 2028. The 27-year-old joins teen phenom Paula Ostiz as the squad’s longest-signed racer.
Mikel Landa also booked himself in for longer with his current team on Wednesday. The Basque extended his deal with Soudal Quick-Step through 2026, so assuring Remco Evenepoel his top mountain helper one more year.
Lastly: Jayco-AlUla parts ways with long-time DS Matt White
Jayco-AlUla also hit the news Wednesday.
The Aussie team confirmed long-time performance director Matt White will step aside amid a wider restructuring of its performance group.
White joined the GreenEdge franchise’s staffer setup in 2012 and was recently promoted to director of high performance and racing. The visionary director was central to the team’s key victories in the time since, including wins at the Vuelta a España and Paris-Roubaix.
Jayco-AlUla confirmed Wednesday that new appointments will be announced in the coming months.