Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal) won the first leg of the UCI World Cup in Antwerp, making it two wins in two days following his triumph yesterday at Exact Cross Kortrijk.
Iserbyt made his race-winning move on the fourth, flying away from the select lead group on an uphill section.
Laurens Sweeck (Alpecin-Deceuninck) finished second-place at 17 seconds, capitalising after Iserbyt’s teammate Michael Vanthourenhout had to change bikes on the final lap after a flat tyre, who himself had to settle for third.
The win marks a significant change in fortune for Iserbyt, who had before this weekend been struggling for form.
“I had a really good feeling,” he said at the finish. “I just wanted to prove myself this weekend, and turn the tide a bit for me and ride my own race.
“I think I have a bit more confidence in my capabilities, and it shows. Especially today, when it was difficult for me when I was in front to do the long sand straight, because there were footsteps in front of me so it was really difficult. That kept the gap a bit closer than I wanted. It was a really hard race for me, especially with the wind, but I’m really happy to finish it off.”
In a course characterised by difficult sand stretches, Iserbyt handled the surface with aplomb, but still admitted to having difficulties. “it's just for me a bit difficult. It’s not just the feeling on the bike, but I’m also just looking a bit too close to the wheel always. That’s a working point for me but it’s working out now so I’m really happy.”
Though he has only now started delivering results, Iserbyt had still been relatively happy with his form prior to this weekend. “The results were worse than the shape. My shape was really good, but the results weren’t really that good for me. It was good, but I always want more. This weekend was the perfect weekend, and I think it’s been a long time ago since someone got the double, so I’m really happy.”
Iserbyt now leads the World Cup, ahead of the next leg in Dublin next weekend.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The 2024/2025 World Cup got underway without some of the sport’s leading stars, with both Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike).
The race was therefore an open, competitive affair, and began with several riders jostling for control at the front.
It was Vanthourenhout who spent the majority of the first lap leading the race, and by its end had forced a small selection consisting of himself, Sweeck, Niels Vandeputte, Iserbyt, Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek) and Corne Van Kessel (Team Deschacht-Hens-FSP).
Of those riders, Sweeck was the first to make a move on the second lap as he opened up a gap on the tough section of sand preceding the end of the circuit. Isybert then bridged the gap on a different sand section the following lap, while the rest of the group were distanced a little as Nys had to dismount and run.
There was however another regrouping just as they crossed the finish line for the third time, with Nys, Vanthourenhout, Lars van der Haar (Baloise Trek Lions) Vandeputte and Jordan Wyseure (Alpecin-Deceuninck) all rejoining Sweeck and Iserbert.
Iserbyt made what turned out to be the race-winning move on an uphill during the fourth lap, and when his teammate Vanthourenhout managed to stay with Sweeck behind as the rest of the group were dropped, he was in an ideal position. Vanthourenhout slowed down on the final sand section, allowing Iserbyt to end the second lap with a lead of seven seconds over the chasing group that had reformed consisting of Vanthourenhout, Sweeck, Vandeputte, Van der Haar and Wyseure.
On the fifth lap, Vandeputte led the chase, though still had Vanthourenhout glued to his wheel. He struggled to make inroads, as the gap between Iserbyt and himself, Vanthourenhout and Vandeputte grew to 13 seconds by the end of the fifth lap.
Vandeputte faded a little the following lap as Sweeck took up the chase, but he too was unable to eat into Iserbyt’s lead, which by the end of the sixth lap remained at 13 seconds.
That grew to 17 seconds by the start of the final lap, by which point it was clear that victory was Iserbyt.
