Miguel Angel Lopez suspended by Astana Qazaqstan amid links to drug trafficking probe

Astana Qazaqstan have suspended Miguel Angel Lopez after a report linked him to a drug trafficking investigation.

According to the report, Lopez was initially a witness in the case but is now being investigated. Ciclo21 said Lopez was intercepted by police at Madrid Airport on Thursday.

“The news that was spread in the media yesterday evening caught us by surprise, and at the moment we do not have any details,” read a statement from Astana Qazaqstan on social media.

“In this regard, the team decided to suspend Miguel Angel Lopez from any activity within the team until all the circumstances of the case are clarified.”

At time of publication, Lopez had not responded to his suspension.

Lopez, dubbed ‘Superman’ by his supporters, has won stages at the Tour de France and La Vuelta.

However, he has failed to finish four of his last five Grand Tours, most recently at the Giro d’Italia where he pulled out with a hip injury on Stage 4.

He also quit the 2021 Vuelta with just 20km remaining on the penultimate stage after seeing his podium dreams unravel.