In response to this morning’s media reports, Team LottoNL-Jumbo issues the following statement.

The Belgian climber Kevin de Weert has never been placed under suspicion in the case revolving around doctor Chris Mertens from Rotselaar. De Weert has voluntarily cooperated in the DNA investigation at the beginning of January 2014, in which no match was found. The team sees no reason for Kevin not to race, therefore he will start in the Tirreno Adriatico.     

“I was a patient at doctor Merten’s practice for a short period of time in 2012, which is close to my home. At the moment I received notice of the investigation, I immediately looked for a different physician. At the end of 2013, I received a court letter with the request to voluntarily provide them with DNA-material because they wanted to close the case. In the beginning of 2014, I voluntarily gave them samples of my DNA, and I do not have to justify myself at the court or my sports federation, because I never received any summoned for hearing” says Kevin de Weert.