The Kazakh racing team Astana has suspended the Colombian professional cyclist Miguel Angel Lopez after he was apparently intercepted and interrogated by the police at Madrid airport.
The team was “surprised” by the news in the Spanish media and currently has no further details. Lopez will therefore be suspended until the circumstances are clarified, wrote the team of former Telekom cyclist Alexander Vinokurow in a statement.
According to the Spanish website “Ciclo21”, Lopez was questioned on his return from Colombia in connection with the investigation of the Spanish doctor Marcos Maynar. The professor from the University of Extremadura was arrested on May 11 for drug trafficking and money laundering, the doctor rejected the allegations.
Lopez is considered a good tour driver. In 2018 he finished third overall in the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta, and two years ago he was sixth in the Tour de France. After the 28-year-old dropped out of the Giro this year due to a hip injury, he last took a break.