Ever since news broke in February that top Belgian cyclo-cross racer Toon Arts had tested positive for the banned drug Letrozole, his supporters have been waiting for the case to be resolved.

At the Koppenberg Cross in Oudenaarde on Tuesday, they gathered under black flags and banners that read "UCI wake up" along with "Start Toon, so he can go to the beauty parlor now."

Aerts did not cut his hair to support his claim that the January 19 urine test, 10 days before last season's UCI Cyclocross World Championships, that detected a breast cancer drug was a coincidence.

On Wednesday, the UCI issued a press release indicating that it has no humor in the situation, stating that while it normally does not comment on pending doping cases, "in light of the inaccurate and/or incomplete information that has been released regarding these proceedings" and that Aerts has not been suspended He wrote that he wished to reiterate that.

Since the announcement nine months ago, Aerts has been free to compete, but has voluntarily chosen not to do so in order to conduct his defense.

Letrozole is a drug that prevents other hormones in the body from changing to estrogen and is used primarily to treat estrogen-sensitive cancers in postmenopausal women. In men, its effects can be similar to taking testosterone, which is why it is on the WADA banned list.

Because it is in the category of specified substances, Arts has the chance to prove to the UCI that the substance entered the body accidentally, unlike drugs like EPO or steroids, which are automatically banned if the amount is high enough.

In an Instagram post in September, Aerts wrote, "I have been working hard on my investigation to prove my innocence as best I can. At this time, unfortunately, we have not made a final decision on this matter."

The court has not yet made a final decision on the case.

Regarding criticism that the trial is taking too long, the UCI assured Arts that it is awaiting "an explanation of the adverse analysis findings" and has assisted him "in all relevant inquiries."

In a September posting, Aerts stated that he and the Baloise Trek team had opted to mutually terminate their contract after nine seasons and chose not to compete in the race.

If he is sanctioned, the UCI could begin banning him from his last race at the X2O Trophy in Brussels on February 13. If he competes before a decision is made, it could further delay his participation in future races.

The UCI explained that it is awaiting "a final explanation from the AAF" so it can review that explanation and supporting evidence and determine the outcome.

Under UCI and WADA rules on specific substances, athletes can be given anything from a warning to a two-year ban for unintentional ingestion.

According to an article by Het Nieuwsblad, Aerts submitted a final explanation to the UCI in August, but has not heard any updates other than "UCI legal services will take the necessary time."

UCI announced in a press release on Wednesday that "at this stage, UCI is unable to provide a timeline for the final completion of Mr. Aerts' proceedings; UCI continues to respect Mr. Aerts' right to appeal and will proceed as quickly as possible upon receiving his final position."

According to the report, Aerts has been contracted by the Tormans cyclocross team since January 1, 2023, to continue training and maintain his racing fitness.