Toon Aerts has improved his third place at the Belgian Championships with a victory in Otegem, West Flanders. Laurens Sweeck and Joran Wyseure completed the podium. For Aerts it is his first victory since his doping suspension.
The big absentee, however, was brand new Belgian champion Thibau Nys (Baloise Glowi Lions), who traveled to Spain on Monday to prepare for the Benidorm World Cup.
As has happened before this cyclo-cross season, Toon Aerts got off to a flying start in Otegem. Joran Wyseure was also right at the front.
After fifteen minutes of racing, a group of four men broke away: Eli Iserbyt, Laurens Sweeck, Joran Wyseure and Jens Adams. Toon Aerts soon had 16 seconds on his hands, the winner seemed to be one of these four.
Teammates at Crelan-Corendon, Sweeck and Wyseure, then took turns increasing the pace, but Eli Iserbyt did not want to give up and regrouped with five laps to go.
A strong Toon Aerts reconnected with the leaders and managed to sprint to a first victory after his suspension in an exciting final round. Sweeck and Wyseure bit the dust.
Aerts’ last victory dates from February 5, 2022, in the Krawatencross in Lille. The Belgian rider was then suspended for two years after testing positive for the banned product letrozole metabolite. In February 2024 he celebrated his comeback in the field. He succeeds Eli Iserbyt on the honors list in Otegem.
“Started too tamely at this cross”
“It is very nice to be able to win again, but I had to race seriously for that,” Aerts responded afterwards. “At one point I was not in the lead of the cross and almost gave up a bit. Until I picked myself up and told myself not to ‘whine’ and to drive to the leading group. I also crashed and had to chase again. Ultimately I was part of the leading group of four that entered the last lap and I made it in the sprint.”
“It’s been a long time since I was able to win again,” Aerts continued. “The Krawatencross three years ago was the last. I was able to drive away almost from the start. I haven’t had that feeling for a long time. Yesterday at the BK I approached that feeling again. I wasn’t really present here in Otegem today at the beginning and I started this cross too tamely. After all, it was the day after the Belgian Championships and it is not a classification cross. Still, I plucked up the courage and went for it again. Those who do not honor the small do not deserve the great. I am working hard towards the World Championships and hope to really shine in a few crosses. This victory gives me a little more confidence.”
© BELGIUM
