"I gave it my all" - Toon Aerts narrowly misses out on the podium on return to racing at Exact Cross Sint-Niklaas

In a brave effort on his first competitive race in two years, Toon Aerts narrowly missed out on the podium at Exact Cross Sint-Niklaas, finishing 4th.

“The podium might have been the icing on the cake, but the cake will taste sweet. I am satisfied after today," reflected the Belgian, who's absence from the sport was because of a positive doping test, in his post-race interview with Wielerflits.

Michael Vanthourenhout was the man who eventually took the win, with Aerts losing out in the battle for the remainder of the podium to Eli Iserbyt and Lars van der Haar. "It took a long time for it to open on the left side. I had counted on it opening there, just like other years. I thought for a moment: it's different this year, but in the end it happened and I was able to grab some places,” Aerts recaps. “It wasn't over, but I felt that I could no longer accelerate at that moment. There was really a lot of racing today because Michael was away and Eli stopped for a while. Of course, that takes some getting used to after such a long period without cross, but I survived, so I am very happy with it.”

“I thought they had gone flying, Joran Wyseure and Eli were gone, just the two of them. But then I rode a few good passages and there was still something left in my legs, so I gave it my all. I got to Joran and passed him, but there was someone else who was just a little faster," he concludes.