"I never took doping and never even considered it. I'm much smarter than that!" - Toon Aerts reacts to being confirmed guilty of anti-doping violation

After the news broke that Toon Aerts's had been unable to prove his innocence after the UCI had found him guilty of doping, the 29-year-old Belgian cyclocross star took to X (Twitter) to make one final statement on the matter.

"I wish to comment one last time on the UCI ruling that fell last Friday, finally," Aerts's statement opens. "I was working really hard towards the first races. The feeling was getting better by the week, wattages were rising, fun was returning... And then suddenly, during a tough training session in the Ardennes, I got the message that the verdict would come a day later."

"While I was choosing lighting fixtures in a wholesaler, my girlfriend's phone suddenly keeps ringing. From her eyes, I could see enough. Even before I got through the mail from the UCI or could speak to anyone, the ruling was made world-famous," Aerts laments.

After initially finding out about the doping issue back in February 2022, Aerts was unable to prove how Letrozole, something he says he searched "on Google 5,000 times during this period," managed to find it's way into his system.

Maintaining his innocence, Aerts concludes by saying; "I never took doping and never even considered it. I'm much smarter than that!"

Check out the full statement down below!