Team LottoNL-Jumbo has stated that Kevin De Weert has not been implicated in the doping investigation into the activities of Dr. Chris Mertens, and confirmed that he will participate in Tirreno-Adriatico as planned. The statement came in response to a report in Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws on Tuesday, which linked De Weert to the inquiry. De Weert confirmed that he was a patient of Mertens in 2012, when he raced for Omega Pharma-QuickStep, but stopped being treated by him when the investigation began in 2013. The Belgian, who signed for LottoNL-Jumbo this winter, added that he later provided a DNA sample to investigators and said that he has not been summoned to either a civil or sporting hearing on the matter.ADVERTISEMENT "I was a patient at doctor Mertens' 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," De Weert said. "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 was never summoned for further hearing." Team LottoNL-Jumbo said that De Weert's DNA did not match with samples seized from Mertens' practice by investigators. "De Weert has voluntarily cooperated in the DNA investigation at the beginning of January 2014, in which no match was found," the team said. "The team sees no reason for Kevin not to race, therefore he will start in the Tirreno Adriatico." You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

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