The cyclocross peloton is gearing up for the next stage of the World Cup in Flamanville, Normandy, France, this Sunday. Toon Aerts and Shari Bossuyt have been suspended after testing positive for the cancer drug Letrozole following competitions in the region.
Aerts’ situation arose after the Flamanville World Cup on January 16, 2022. His out-of-competition doping test, conducted three days later, revealed the presence of metabolites of the drug. Similarly, Bossuyt, competing in the Tour de Normandie Féminin on March 19, 2023, had a positive doping control sample for metabolites of the substance.
Both cyclists, represented by Yannick Prévost of ISEA Sport Management, have issued a warning to their teammates, including Michael Vanthourenhout and Toon Vandebosch, advising them to avoid local dairy products and bring their own food from Belgium.
The hypothesis raised by Aerts (Baloise Trek Lions) and Bossuyt (Canyon // SRAM Racing) suggests that the positive results may be related to the consumption of dairy products in Flamanville, speculating that Letrozole might be present in cow’s milk. However, this theory has not been confirmed by laboratory analyses.
Aerts’ suspension ends on February 15, 2024.
Letrozole has been banned by WADA due to its ability to reverse the feminizing effects of anabolic steroids. Despite Aerts attempting to prove his innocence, he has been suspended for two years, with the suspension ending on February 15, 2024. Next year, the Belgian is expected to ride for Deschacht-Hens-Maes, according to the Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad.