Rider Profile
Miguel Angel López
Medellín-EPM
Personal Details:
Teams history:
- 2023 - Medellín-EPM
- 2022 - Astana Qazaqstan
- 2021 - Movistar Team
- 2020 - Astana Pro Team
- 2019 - Astana Pro Team
- 2018 - Astana Pro Team
- 2017 - Astana Pro Team
- 2016 - Astana Pro Team
- 2015 - Astana Pro Team
Biography:
Colombian-born Miguel Ángel López made an impression as “Superman” for his climbing ability as a rider that thrust him on the WorldTour stage in 2015. He has also had an eventful career filled with drama, on and off the bike. Born on February 4, 1994, López won Tour de l’Avenir as a 20-year-old, and landed him a contract for Astana the next season, where he raced for six years.
In his first season with Astana, he finished seventh overall at the Tour de Suisse and used two stage wins, one a TTT, to finish fourth overall at Vuelta a Burgos. He won the Tour de Suisse in 2016 and used multiple attacks on the hilly closing sections of Milano-Tireno to grab the victory. In 2017 he won two stages and placed eighth overall at the Vuelta a España, a race he failed to finish in his first appearance the year before.
He was on the podium at both the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España in 2018 and recorded top 10s at both in 2019, before marking his Tour de France debut in 2020 with victory on the queen stage atop Col de la Loze, although he lost his podium position after a disastrous final time trial.
In 2021 López, sitting third overall, stopped mid-way through the penultimate stage of the Vuelta a España and stopped racing. The shock move led to Movistar terminating his time with the squad, and Netflix spotlighting the dramatic event in a team documentary series. That Vuelta drama far overshadowed his GC win at Ruta del Sol and win at Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge earlier in the year.
The 2022 season had a mix of results and led to the restart and end of a comeback with Astana. He won a stage at the Tour of the Alps to set up his Giro campaign, but abandoned the race in the first kilometres of stage 4 to Etna due to a reported left thigh injury. Hewas suspended for a time by Astana, with links to a drug trafficking case with a Spanish doctor, but in August returned to win the mountains classification at Vuelta a Burgos and then finish fourth overall at the Vuelta.
He mixed in a ride at the 2022 UCI Gravel World Championships, finishing 28th, then rode to fourth at Giro del Veneto. However, he was let go by Astana Qazaqstan at the end of the year over his links to the Operation Ibex investigation that involved Spanish doctor, Marcos Maynar, who was arrested that year for crimes against public health, drug trafficking and money laundering.
Back to South America for racing with Medellín-EPM in 2023, López took victories with the Continental team at Vuelta a San Juan, the Colombian ITT national championship, as well as the Vuelta a Colombia and eight of the race's nine stages. Then he was provisionally suspended by the UCI in July for an anti-doping rule violation that came to light by the International Testing Agency from the weeks prior to the 2022 Giro. The suspension ended his 2023 season.
Key Results
2023
🥇 GC at Vuelta a San Juan
🥇 Colombian National Championships ITT
🥇Eight stages and GC at Vuelta a Colombia
2022
🥇 Mountains classification at Vuelta a Burgos
🥈 One stage at Vuelta a España
🥉 One stage at Vuelta a España
Fourth on GC at Vuelta a España
2021
🥇 One stage at Vuelta a España
🥇 Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge
🥇 One stage and GC at Ruta del Sol
🥉 Two stages at Vuelta a España
2020
🥇 One stage at Tour de France
Sixth overall at Tour de France
2019
🥇 Youth classification at Giro d’Italia
🥇 One stage and GC at Volta Ciclista a Catalunya
🥈 One stage at Paris-Nice
🥈 Colombian National Championships ITT
2018
🥇 One stage and points classification at Vuelta a Burgos
🥇 One stage at Tour of the Alps
🥈 Milano-Torino
🥈 One stage at Giro d’Italia
🥈 One stage, mountains classification and GC at Vuelta a Burgos
🥈 Three stages at Vuelta a España
🥈 GC at Tour of Oman
🥉 GC at Giro d’Italia
🥉 GC at Vuelta a España
🥉 GC at Abu Dhabi Tour
2017
🥇 Two stages at Vuelta a España
🥇 One stage at Vuelta a Burgos
🥈 One stage and mountains classification Vuelta a España
🥉 GC at Tour of Austria
2016
🥇 GC at Tour de Suisse
🥇 Milano–Torino
🥉 GC at Tour de Langkawi
Related Articles
Miguel Angel López to appeal against four-year doping ban at Court of Arbitration for Sport
By Alasdair Fotheringham published
News Colombian climbing ace claims the case for his ban was based on 'manipulated phone call transcripts'
Colombian cycling star Miguel Ángel López banned until July 2027 for use of Menotropin
By Alasdair Fotheringham published
News Four-year anti-doping sanction imposed following lengthy suspension based on findings from 2022 Giro d’Italia
Public prosecutor calls for Operation Ilex anti-doping probe to be partly shelved
By Cyclingnews published
News Miguel Angel López remains suspended from racing over potential anti-doping violation
Doping control officers test Miguel Angel López during Disney World holiday
By Stephen Farrand published
News Colombian surprised by out-of-competition test while still suspended as UCI continues doping investigation linked to Operacion Ilex
Operación Ilex doctor denies giving banned drugs to Miguel Angel Lopez
By Laura Weislo published
News Maynar said allegations are 'absurd'
Polti Kometa dismiss reports of signing Miguel Angel López during suspension
By Stephen Farrand published
News ‘We all know that Miguel Ángel López is a very good rider but he is not part of our plans’ says Ivan Basso
Caja Rural claim Operación Ilex files leaked to damage team's reputation
By Alasdair Fotheringham published
news Spanish team reports selective 'incomplete, skewed, out of context' leak sent to other teams to police
Miguel Angel López kidnapped and robbed in Colombia
By Daniel Ostanek published
News Suspended racer held for three hours and robbed of van, 800,000 Colombian pesos on Thursday
Blogs
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A proper women's race – Historic day in Emporia at Unbound Gravel
Extended gaps around women's start end with unprecedented sprint finish though 'it’s still imperfect, but it’s the best we can do for now' -
Road prep and adapting to new rules as Life Time Grand Prix begins at Fuego XL mountain bike event
Lauren De Crescenzo uses The Growler for confidence boost ride ahead of prestigious off-road series -
'Untapped gold' in store for inaugural RADL GRVL in South Australia
Nathan Haas calls gravel course 'raw, fast, exciting' after pre-ride with co-founder Valtteri Bottas -
UCI Gravel Worlds - new course, same criticisms cast doubt on event
Nathan Haas hears feedback from fellow riders on course elevation being 'selective without being stupid' -
Nathan Haas blog: We need to talk about the Unbound mud pit
Was it wrong to not re-route the course?