UCI not suspending Toon Aerts over doping positive yet

DENDERMONDE BELGIUM DECEMBER 26 Toon Aerts of Belgium and Team Baloise Trek Lions competes during the 2nd Dendermonde UCI CycloCross Worldcup 2021 Mens Elite CXWorldCup UCIcyclocrossWC on December 26 2021 in Dendermonde Belgium Photo by Luc ClaessenGetty Images
Toon Aerts will face an uphill battle in his doping case (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)

Toon Aerts announced on Tuesday that an out-of-competition doping control he submitted to ten days before the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships came up positive for a banned substance. The UCI, however, did not issue a provisional suspension because the substance, a metabolite of the breast cancer drug Letrozole, while prohibited in- and out-of-competition is in a class called "specified substances" that do not require a mandatory provisional suspension.

Aerts voluntarily ended his season and was placed on inactive status by his team, Baloise-Trek, pending the analysis of the B-sample.

Laura Weislo
Managing Editor

Laura Weislo has been with Cyclingnews since 2006 after making a switch from a career in science. As Managing Editor, she coordinates coverage for North American events and global news. As former elite-level road racer who dabbled in cyclo-cross and track, Laura has a passion for all three disciplines. When not working she likes to go camping and explore lesser traveled roads, paths and gravel tracks. Laura specialises in covering doping, anti-doping, UCI governance and performing data analysis.