Astana Qazaqstan sacks Miguel Angel Lopez
Update: Lopez statement says no just cause for termination, adds reminder thꦛat 'he has never tested positive for any drugs or doping'

The 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Astana Qazaqstan team announced late on Monday that they have severed their contract with Colombian rider Miguel Angel López after receiving new information about his ties to Dr Marcos Maynar Mariño, however the rider was quick to reject this saying in a statement that there were no new facts that cou🐓ld justify such a decision.
Maynar was arrested in May, charged with a crime against public health, drug trafficking and money laundering. The team statement said new elements it discovered had shඣown that López had a “probable connection with Dr Marcos Maynar".
.However, López said that there had not been any more relevant information revealed since his contract with the team was🙈 extended for the 2023 season in November of 2022.
“The rider hereby informs that he considers such decision as with no cause, and that there are no ne♈w facts which could justify such decision, not known or reported before November 2022 by Aꦆstana Team,” said a statement signed by López, which appears to have been prepared by his lawyers.
“The rider rejects any al🍎legation that could damage his name and honor as professional rider, and reminds that he has never tested positive for any drugs or doping, nor has he been investigated by any authority,” said the statement released on .
“Mr. Miguel Angel Lopez hereby informs that he will 🌄defend his rights before the corresponding Courts, in a case which he understands as a clear case of abusive termination without just cause.”
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The issues surrounding the rider and his place at Astana first arose ear🥀lier this year, with the team suspending López in July after reports emerged of all🌺eged links between him and Maynar, which López, through his attorney, vigorously denied. "He flatly denies having any relationship or participation in any criminal act related to the distribution of unauthorised medicines or any other product referred to in the news published yesterday," the lawyer said at the time. The team "provisionally" reinstated him two weeks later.
Maynar who is a professor at the University of Extremadura, was arrested by au✤thorities on May 11 and charged with a crime against public health, d𝓡rug trafficking and money laundering. The Civil Guard searched his Physiology Laboratory in the Faculty of Sports Sciences. The case was referred to the Investigating Court number 4.
The arrest of Maynar comes amidst a doping investigation, 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Operacion Ilex, which is currently underway in Spain but a statement released by the Guardia Civil on the investigation did not name any of those under investigation. It began in January 2021 when the Guardia Civil began investigating a suspected doping ring near Cáceres in western Spain. Two people have been arrested and six🍌 individuals a🧸re under investigation.
Much like Operacion Puerto, the investigation uncovered coded messages and banned substances including Actovegin, Theophylline and Menotropin and identified customers in Portugal, Guipuzcoa in the Basque Country and Castellon💧 in eastern Valencia.

Laura Weislo has been with Cyclingnews since 2006 after making a switch from a career in science. As Managing🧜 Editor, she coordinates coverage for North American events and global news. As former elite-level road racer who dabbled in cyclo-cross and track, Laura has a passion for all three disciplines. When not working she likes to go camping and explore lesser traveled roads, paths and gravel tracks. Laura 🍸specialises in covering doping, anti-doping, UCI governance and performing data analysis.