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X2O Trofee champion Toon Aerts tests positive for banned substance

Two-time World Cup series winner tested January 19

Only two days after wrapping up his first X2O Badkamers Trofee and adding it to a Superprestige and two World Cup series titles, Toon Aerts received notification that he returned a positive out-of-competition urine test for banned substance Letrozole on January 19th.

In a statement on his Baloise-Trek Lions team’s Twitter account the 28-year-old Belgian said, “I was notified that an abnormal result was found in my urine sample taken during an out-of-competition check at my home on January 19. I am currently in the dark as to how this could have happened. The product Letrozole Metabolite was found in my urine sample. A product I had never heard of until yesterday and I don’t know how it got into my body.”

Letrozole is used to fight breast cancer. Why is it a banned substance?

According to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, “Athletes who abuse anabolic steroids might use an aromatase inhibitor like letrozole to prevent the formation of estrogens, and therefore reduce or prevent the unwanted and feminizing effects of anabolic steroid use.”

Aerts is currently the second-ranked elite male cyclocross rider in the world. On Sunday he hoisted the X2O Trophy after four consecutive years of being the runner-up. He took the overall Superprestige honours last season. His 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 World Cup titles are a career pinnacle. He took round wins in all three series this season.

Aerts has requested a B sample be tested.