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Toon Aerts completed in fourth place on the Precise Cross in Sint Niklaas on Saturday. It was his first race in two years after the expiration of his two-year doping suspension.
The 30-year-old thought he would possibly make it onto the rostrum however Lars van der Haar (Baloise-Trek) out-sprinted him for third place 12 seconds behind race winner Michael Vanthourenhout and his Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal teammate Eli Iserbyt.
“The rostrum may need been the icing on the cake, however the cake will style candy. I’m glad after as we speak,” Aerts mentioned.
He needed to move greater than 40 riders after beginning within the final row since he has no UCI factors towards grid positions and he made fast work of attending to the entrance.
“If you happen to see the place I got here from, it was certainly an excellent begin,” Aerts instructed Wielerflits. “It took a very long time for it to open on the left aspect. I had counted on it opening there, identical to different years. I assumed for a second: it is completely different this yr, however ultimately, it occurred and I used to be in a position to seize some locations.
“After all, that takes some getting used to after such a protracted interval with out cross, however I survived, so I’m very proud of it.”
Aerts tested positive for the breast most cancers drug letrozole in an out-of-competition management earlier than the Cyclocross World Championships in 2022.
After his vigorous yet unsuccessful defence towards the doping constructive, which he attributed to contaminated meals, the UCI suspended him for two years.
Aerts appears to have garnered ample assist from his followers.
“In current days, many individuals have despatched me good luck. There have been additionally those that wrote: ‘Take pleasure in it’. I loved it, however it nonetheless damage,” he mentioned to Sporza.
“At sure moments I actually needed to go deep. However then I assumed: “Come on, man, an hour of struggling, what’s that in comparison with the 2 years through which you suffered?”
He additionally had loads of assist from the spectators on the course.
“I had the sensation that it was a championship. These are moments once they stand on the sidelines with bells and whistles and cheer. And as we speak I had just a little little bit of that feeling once more.
“I’m extraordinarily grateful to these folks [Aerts’ fan club] as a result of they’ve guided me by the previous two years. It is a day that I can’t neglect for the remainder of my life.”
Now racing with Deschacht-Hens-Maes, Aerts heads to the X2O Trophy in Brussels – the second to final race of the season that concludes subsequent week in Oostmalle.
“Tomorrow is a very completely different course, I believe. I had just a little hassle as we speak with the slipping and sliding within the corners. Tomorrow there shall be quite a lot of that, so it will likely be there once more to start with. However in precept, the course fits me higher than as we speak’s.”
Earlier than his doping constructive, Aerts had simply hit his stride, climbing onto the rostrum with Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel on the World Cup in Dendermonde and notching up his first European World Cup victory in Zonhoven.
“That can also be the explanation why I’ve maintained my braveness over the previous two years. If it labored then, why would not it work sooner or later,” Aerts mentioned to Sporza.
“At present I used to be capable of finding my place on the high of cyclocross. I hope that it will solely get higher by taking part in an increasing number of competitions.”
Lucinda Model (Baloise Trek) received the ladies’s occasion in Sint Niklaas forward of Laura Verdonschot and Annemarie Worst.
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