ProTeam, the cycling team that Lennert Van Eetvelt rides for, has issued a statement regarding an “alleged breach of anti-doping laws” by the rider during the Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var on February 19th.
“We have talked to our rider and medical staff and are confident in a good outcome, but we are following the established procedures and therefore put Lennert on non-active for the time being, pending further investigation,” the team said.
According to the team, the substance mentioned in the dossier is an authorized substance found in a nasal spray that is freely available and authorized in competition if mentioned during a control and used in accordance with the package leaflet.
Van Eetvelt expressed his confusion and hopes for a resolution soon. “My world was turned upside down for a moment yesterday. No rider wants to receive such a letter. I also don’t really understand what happened. At the doping control, I clearly mentioned that I was taking the nasal spray, as I have already done before in my career. I am not aware of any wrongdoing and hope this is just a mistake and this nightmare will end soon.”
In a meeting with the team’s board of directors and the team doctor, Van Eetvelt explained the situation. “We had a good consultation, listened to what happened to him, and we are confident in a good outcome,” the team stated. “The team applies a strict zero-tolerance policy, and therefore Lennert has been put on non-active. We want to stress that this is in no way a conviction but merely the application of the MPCC (Mouvement pour un Cyclisme Crédible) guidelines. It also gives Lennert time to substantiate his case in the best way possible.”
Van Eetvelt has decided not to make any further comments, and the press is asked to respect his privacy during this time.
