Silence-Lotto lets four riders go and hires one for 2010

Silence-Lotto is setting up its team for the 2010 season, letting four riders go and considering a contract for Jan Bakelants from team Topsport-Vlaanderen. Roy Sentjens, Pieter Jacobs, Géry Gardeyn and Bart Dockx might leave the Belgian ProTour team at the end of the year, according to Het Nieuwsblad.

"The decision is not yet final," said sports director Herman Frison. He said contract talks could continue if the four do well in the coming races.

Sentjens, who has been with the Belgian team since 2007, expected to search for a new team. "It obviously has to do with my protest after not being selected for the Tour," he told the Gazet van Antwerpen. "I have never regretted my words. I think that as a rider I should state my own opinion."

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The 28-year-old is currently riding the Eneco Tour. "I am doubly motivated to do something there."

Bakelants, 22, told Sporza that he has "an attractive offer. Several teams have made me offers, but Silence-Lotto is currently in the pole position."

He denied media reports that he had signed with Team Columbia-HTC. "The team has never made me a firm offer and I have never spoken with them. This story is not true."

Bakelants lacked victories this year, but in 2008 won the Circuit des Ardennes, Under-23 Liege-Bastogne-Liege and the Tour de l'Avenir overall classification.