Miguel Angel Lopez claimed that he had no doping violations, that he did not know he was being fired from his former team, Astana Cazacustan, and that he is looking forward to racing for his new team, Medellín.

"I did not dope, my biological passport is intact," Lopez said in an interview with Colombia's ADN Cycling (opens in new tab).

The 28-year-old Lopez was fired by Astana Cazacustan in December after new evidence allegedly showed that he had a relationship with Spanish doctor Marcos Maynar, who is currently under investigation in connection with a doping ring.

However, in his latest interview, the Colombian continues to insist that he has done nothing wrong and is happy to race locally for his Continental team, Medellín EPM, but aims to return to the World Tour before retiring.

"It's a new experience and I'm motivated, it's a little different than what I expected [for 2023], but I'm sure I'll feel the support of the supporters here. This is the best team in Colombia."

Lopez said that after being fired by Astana, finding a home team "was a good thing after what happened." Sometimes you have to take small steps in order to make big leaps."

He seemed determined to put a positive spin on recent events, noting that his 2015 pro debut on the WorldTour meant he missed out on top local races like the Vuelta a Colombia and Classico RCN.

His exit from Astana was not an easy one, he admitted. He said, "There were no problems, things moved forward, and we were able to go into 2023 without any worries.

"It [the initial suspension] was just a bad thing that happened, a misunderstanding. I didn't dope and my biological passport is clean.

"After that, at one moment it was as if the ground had disappeared under my feet, even though it was December 15, almost Christmas."

"It was very painful.

"The support of friends and family helped me get through it. The important thing was that I didn't have any problems, so I decided to race for a team outside the World Tour.

Lopez thanked his new teammate, veteran Spanish racer Oscar Sevilla of Medellín EPM. He is one of the best riders in Colombian cycling and I am proud to race with him," Lopez said.

Lopez admitted to ADNCycling that he will be competing in Medellín for the Vuelta a San Juan in January, but was dismissive of expectations that he will be in perfect shape. However, he expressed optimism about the possibility of competing in the All-Japan Championships in early February. His long-term goal, he said, is to return to top-level racing on the World Tour.

"For me, the last few years have been complicated in many ways. Movistar (my team in 2021, editor's note:) was not a good team for me either, so neither 2021 nor 2022 were easy.

"But I'm 28 and about to turn 29. No one is perfect and everyone makes mistakes.