Camera disrupts Iserbyt's race: "You don’t expect that, especially not a camera half a meter long"

After an exciting race, in which the decision came in the final lap, Vandeputte crossed the line celebrating. "This feels incredible. This is my way of thanking everyone who has supported me. Especially after yesterday, I had a lot of feelings of revenge and wanted to show how good my form is. To finish it in a duel with Eli makes it extra special," the Belgian said.

Vandeputte rode smart throughout the race and seized his opportunity in the final lap. "I know I’m usually strong in the last lap. At one point, we got away with four riders due to a mistake behind us. That was a favorable situation, but it kept slowing down on the course, allowing Eli and Lars to catch up again. I also made a mistake, which pushed me to the back of the group. But I worked my way up spot by spot. I entered the final lap in second place, which was ideal. Along the water, I made my move and kept it going until the finish," Vandeputte analyzed.

According to the rider, it was mainly a combination of power and technique that secured his victory. "I rode technically strong, but at the end, I just had the most power. Was I the strongest? Hard to say, it was really a mix today. But I had the right combination."

The victory marks an important step for Vandeputte, who has been performing consistently this season. "In every race this year, I finished in the top four, except for yesterday (sixth, ed.). I think I’m just growing year after year. I had a good summer and started this season with confidence. That’s now paying off. Hopefully, I can continue this trend and have more great duels to come."

For Eli Iserbyt, the day brought mixed feelings. Beforehand, he had said he wanted to find some joy in racing again, and he partly succeeded. And although he did well in the standings, more might have been possible without the crash. "When I was leading and could choose my own line, I was enjoying cyclo-cross again. But I prefer to finish without a crash," the Belgian said, referring to a crucial moment in his race.

"I don’t know if it was visible on TV, but a photographer completely got in my way. It knocked me off my line, and I crashed. Then everyone rode into me. That was very unfortunate. You don’t expect someone to cross the barrier, especially not with a camera half a meter long." Fortunately, the damage seems to be minimal for the Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal rider.

Despite that, Iserbyt couldn’t deny that it was a good day for him. "For the standings, it was a good day, especially given how the race unfolded. Midway, it was mainly a matter of hanging on. I focused on Lars (van der Haar, ed.) and tried to stay on his wheel. He brought me back to the leading group. Then I led to keep him behind me. In the final lap, I saw an opportunity for victory, but unfortunately, I couldn’t finish it off," Iserbyt concluded.