Last Monday, Toon Aerts recorded his first victory in Otegem since he became European champion at the beginning of November. That victory felt like a liberation, but a few days later disaster struck again. In the Benidorm World Cup Cross, Aerts seemed to be on his way to a good top five, until a technical defect turned everything upside down.
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Chain falls off in the final phase
After his victory in Otegem, Toon Aerts headed to Spain together with the other riders for a training block. In between, he was at the start of the tenth round of the World Cup in Benidorm, where he remained at the forefront for a long time. In the final even fifth place seemed within reach.
However, that ambition explodes at the very last bend. “Lost fifth place in the last corner after my chain fell off, a major setback,” Aerts himself writes on his social media.
Due to that problem, he lost several positions in one fell swoop and eventually fell back to ninth place.
Form good, result bitter
The result was in stark contrast to the feeling that Aerts took away from the match. After months in which things did not always work out, he seemed to have hit the right track again. The victory in Otegem confirmed this, and he also showed himself to be competitive in Benidorm.
Despite the disappointment, Aerts took the time to thank his entourage. “Thank you to all the fans, especially my teammates and the Lotto-Intermarché employees who started their training day early to be there!”, he said gratefully.
