Colombian climber Miguel Angel López claims he is not guilty of using a banned substance and will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport for his 4・year suspension from the race.The case, he said, is based on an incorrect interpretation of "manipulated phone transcripts". According to a UCI statement on Wednesday, Lopez will be given a 2023 ban of 7.25 years valid from the date of the provisional suspension of 4 years for "use and possession of prohibited substances (menotropin)." – Substances usually used in the treatment of birth disorders - "At the same time as the Giro d'Italia in 2022."

Lopez, a former Vuelta A España and Tour de France stage winner and podium winner in both the Giro and the Vuelta, has always claimed to be innocent of wrongdoing, and he has forcefully reacted to the news of the four-year ban. 

Writing on Instagram, López argued that the decision did not take into account recent decisions taken by the Spanish legal authorities and CAS. He also claimed, without providing direct evidence, that the ban was based on [incorrect] interpretations of manipulated and biased phone transcripts.

"No crime exists and the prohibition is unjustified," Lopez wrote. "I will appeal immediately and defend my innocence, I hope I can return to the world of competitive cycling."

The 30-year-old former Astana racer also thanked people for their continued support during the investigation.

The UCI's announcement of Lopez's ban stated that "Disciplinary proceedings were initiated after an investigation conducted by the International Testing Organization (ITA) based on evidence obtained from the Spanish Guardia Civil and the Spanish Anti-Doping Agency (CELAD) in the so-called 'Ilex' operation. UCI welcomes this valuable collaboration.

The UCI did not specify what evidence was obtained from the Ilex and how it affected the investigation.

However, he added that what he called "operational activities of anti-doping programs" are being run by the International Testing Organization (Ita) in 2021/1, noting that the ita's agreement with UCI "ensures that the ita operates in an independent manner.""

In the original statement about the ban, the UCI added that it would not comment further on the suspension. Lopez, meanwhile, has a maximum of 1 month to file an appeal to the CAS.