Two Out of Two for Eli Iserbyt
Eli Iserbyt enjoyed a perfect weekend on the cyclocross circuit. On Saturday, he claimed victory in the Urban Cross in Kortrijk, his home region. A day later, he won the first round of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup by the Scheldt in Antwerp. Unsurprisingly, the Belgian champion now also leads the World Cup standings. As an added bonus, his teammate Michael Vanthourenhout joined him on the podium twice.
So far, this hadn’t been Eli’s year, with only a win at the Exact Cross Heerderstrand to his name. He finished as runner-up no fewer than three times in classified races (Druivencross Overijse, Koppenbergcross Oudenaarde, and Flandriencross Hamme), and he had to settle for bronze at the European Championships.
This weekend, however, everything fell into place for the Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal team leader. Racing in his tricolor Belgian champion's jersey, he broke away midway through the race in Kortrijk. Michael Vanthourenhout executed the team strategy perfectly, allowing Eli to celebrate his victory along the banks of the Leie River. For the Kaster native, this felt like a home win.
So far, this hadn’t been Eli’s year, with only a win at the Exact Cross Heerderstrand to his name. He finished as runner-up no fewer than three times in classified races (Druivencross Overijse, Koppenbergcross Oudenaarde, and Flandriencross Hamme), and he had to settle for bronze at the European Championships.
This weekend, however, everything fell into place for the Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal team leader. Racing in his tricolor Belgian champion's jersey, he broke away midway through the race in Kortrijk. Michael Vanthourenhout executed the team strategy perfectly, allowing Eli to celebrate his victory along the banks of the Leie River. For the Kaster native, this felt like a home win.
From the Leie to the Scheldt. The West Fleming struck again the next day in the first round of the prestigious World Cup. He waited until halfway through the race to launch his decisive attack. It quickly became clear that the bird had flown. Vanthourenhout was poised for a team one-two finish, but a puncture relegated him to third place.
Other Riders
As every weekend, Ridley was ubiquitous in the field. Ridley Racing Team secured two top 10 positions, with Daan Soete finishing tenth on Saturday and Felipe Orts ninth on Sunday (despite a flat tire). Among the women, Leonie Bentveld finished third in the U23 category, ahead of the elite women. She placed fifteenth overall, just in front of Denise Betsema. Shanyl De Schoesitter finished 46th. Riders also had success in the Czech Republic (Saturday) and Slovakia (Sunday) with Ridley bikes. Polish champion Marek Konwa, along with Eli, claimed the double victory. On Saturday, Kristyna Zemanova won in front of her home crowd, still recovering from a COVID-19 infection. Next week, the entire cyclocross peloton will move to Ireland for a new World Cup round in Dublin.
Photos: Photo News and Gaëtan Flamme
Photos: Photo News and Gaëtan Flamme
X-Night RS
A crown jewel for championsThe X-Night RS is the fifth generation of our cyclocross bike on which dozens of titles have already been won. We developed this X-Night RS tailored to the cyclocross rider, with a special cyclocross geometry and numerous aerodynamic improvements. The Ridley Racing Team will use this crown jewel from autumn 2024.
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