Toon Aerts preparing cyclocross comeback: "I'm a bit lost here, but I like being in the middle again"

The Lille Krawatencross is a race that holds a lot of value for Toon Aerts, it was the final race he's won before the suspension came at the end of last season's cyclocross period. The Belgian was in the crowd today and talked about his current situation and urge to return to the middle of the battles.

"A week after my victory in Lille, they called me. A year later we are still looking for how that substance ended up in my urine," Aerts told Sporza at the crowd in Lille today. "It all takes a long time. We thought that was exaggerated. That is why we have now appealed to the UCI. Soon we have to go to Switzerland. Then we will know whether the verdict will be milder. I really hope for that."

Aerts was only recently suspended by the UCI, and is likely to remain so until late February 2024. That would mean that he would also miss out on the upcoming winter, but he's looking to still have his sentence reduced to be able to compete in a few months.

"I continued to train fully until the Christmas period. Now I teach 16 hours a week," he says, having recently taken a job as a physical education teacher. "Before and after I try to do some sports. Wednesdays I have off to do my endurance training. From the summer I will fully focus on my comeback."

Aerts recently found a sponsorship with Toyo Tyres, in which he finds financial and equipment support: "We've always had a good relationship. They are responsible for my cycling outfit and they support me for the training camps that I will still take."

This gives a small boost to his campaign and confidence of returning to his best level, and he shares that after missing out on the entire 2022-2023 season, he's looking to get back to the field. "I'm a bit lost here, but I like being in the middle again. The spectators are all positive. They miss me," he joked.