"I note that this is the second time that the Lotto team has experienced something similar" - Jan Bakelants critical of Lotto Dstny over Lennert Van Eetvelt suspension

Jan Bakelants has criticised Lotto Dstny after their rider Lennert Van Eetvelt was suspended due to a breach of anti-doping laws saying "I note that this is the second time that the Lotto team has experienced something similar."

Van Eetvelt was provisionally suspended after he used a nasal spray that had not been reported during a doping control check and on the Wielerclub Wattage podcast for Sporza, Bakelants has weighed in on the debate and given his opinion. “It is very unfortunate that Van Eetvelt has to go through this. I note that this is the second time that the Lotto team has experienced something similar," he says. 

"Tosh Van der Sande got in trouble for the same fart in a bottle four years ago. He has also been acquitted," the ex-pro continues. "After the Van der Sande case, the team must have said: 'Oops, this has now happened. Shouldn't we monitor this more strictly?' Some things must go wrong internally for this to happen twice.”

"Other teams to my knowledge never have a problem with nasal sprays, which are very readily available for colds. The team doctor always receives the form containing the products used by a rider. Also as a control towards the riders. So what happened to Van Eetvelt was an avoidable episode,” Bakelants regretfully concludes.