Will Toon Aerts also become Belgian clay champion? “Haven’t often pushed such high wattages as on Sunday”

First clay court match ever and immediate win: Toon Aerts just wanted to get a taste of clay court in Valkenburg last Sunday, but it didn’t stop at just a small snack. In any case, it left me wanting more. Is he the favorite on Wednesday at the BK clay court in Turnhout?

Toon Aerts was finally allowed to stand on the highest podium again on Sunday in Valkenburg, something that happened before his suspension. A more than successful debut on the gravel circuit.

“Initially there wasn’t much attention because the match wasn’t on TV, but when the news of my victory became known, I was inundated with messages. Actually, until today.”

“Because it was my very first gravel race, I had a lot of doubts at the start. Now I have a better idea of ​​what to expect, including from the opposition.”

“Many participants who were there on Sunday will also be at the start at the Belgian Championships in Turnhout. However, two riders who are not riding in Valkenburg are my top favorites: Gianni Vermeersch and Dries Van Gestel.”

“Vermeersch was of course already the clay world champion and he may have had his best spring ever. Van Gestel was also strong this spring and he will soon be racing in his own region.”

For me, Gianni Vermeersch and Dries Van Gestel are the top favorites for the Belgian Championship.

Toon Aerts

Yet Aerts secretly has the ambition to win himself. After his Belgian title in the field in 2019, it would be his second tricolore among the pros.

“But a lot can happen in clay. If I have recovered well from Sunday, I should be able to compete for the first places. Winning is another story. I expect it to be a level higher.”

The course in Turnhout is not entirely in Toon Aerts’ favor. “It will be a lot faster than in Valkenburg, less technical. The latter was to my advantage as a cross rider. Turnhout is a bit more of a road race.”

Aerts believes that gravel is more similar to a normal road race than to a cyclocross. “It’s a completely different effort than racing.”

“In the field you have to constantly sprint and brake for the corners, after which you start sprinting again. With gravel you have to accelerate less, you push more wattages. I have not often pushed the wattages on Sunday.”

Thanks to his victory in Valkenburg, Aerts is in any case qualified for the World Cup, in early October in Leuven. “After the Belgian Championships, I would in principle still ride in Aachen on May 12, but after that I would normally only race on the road. Until the World Championships.”

“But maybe we will adjust the program a bit and I will add a few more gravel races in the summer.”

In the Sluitingsprijs in Oostmalle, Toon Aerts had a serious fall and broke his nose. Does this still bother him now, about two months later?

“No, actually I have already forgotten that. It has completely healed. After the cross in Oostmalle I had surgery to straighten my nose.”

“It wasn’t too bad. It never hurt and I never had any trouble breathing.”

“After Oostmalle, the intention was to take 2 weeks of rest. That was now a few days longer, but nothing was compromised. That became clear on Sunday in Valkenburg.”