Toon Aerts on his first win in almost 3 years - "I had actually given up a few times in my head"
Cyclocross
Toon Aerts had last won a cyclocross race on the 6th February 2022. It took him almost three years, after a two-year suspension, to get back to the top of the podium in his favourite discipline but it has finally happened! The Belgian was the victory of the Otegem Cross this afternoon against tough competition.
“I had to race really hard for it, because I was not there at the beginning, but this is a nice feeling again," Aerts said in words to VRT Nieuws.“I had actually given up a few times in my head, but I kept cheering myself up: ‘don't cry’. "That's how I got back into the leading group and was able to sprint for the win".
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Aerts' last victory had been at the 2022 Lille Krawatencross and ever since he was suspended for two years after testing positive for Letrozole, and returned to competition last February. This winter he's been on a roll, currently sitting second in the World Cup and also the X2O Badkamers Trofee. He had finished second on a few races including the Dublin, Namur and Besançon World Cups, but today finally it was his day.
He chased down a group containing the likes of Laurens Sweeck and Eli Iserbyt in the fast Belgian cross, and in the final minutes of the race he was the strongest, putting in an impressive display to win for Deschacht - Hens - FSP.
"I still remember that I was able to ride away from the first meters there. That's a feeling I've missed for a long time. Yesterday at the Belgian Championship I actually felt good, and today those legs came back at the end. Then it's great to win in such a sprint. I went full throttle again and got back into the race despite a fall, to then finish it off nicely in the sprint. I'm working towards the World Championship. I also went to Spain for that last week. I hope that will pay off now," he concluded.
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Ook Toon Aerts wint nog een keer 🎉#CXOtegem pic.twitter.com/DnSV0x2D9K
— Sporza 🚴 (@sporza_koers) January 13, 2025

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