In the Superprestige, Eli Iserbyt maintains his lead. The 25-year-old rider from Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal secured victory in the third round of the series in Niel, adding to his previous wins in Overijse and Ruddervoorde.
"It was very challenging. I did have a positive feeling about it, but Joris (Niewenhuis, ed.) was exceptionally strong," Iserbyt stated in the post-race interview, expressing admiration for the Dutch runner-up, who appeared to be a strong contender for the win throughout the race. "In the penultimate round, I made several attempts, but he simply didn't make any mistakes."
"On the last lap, I knew it was crucial to reach the bumps first. There, I attempted to go all in, creating a gap. It worked out well, although I had to dig really deep," the 25-year-old victor concluded with a smile. What qualities allowed him to ultimately surpass Nieuwenhuis? "To my surprise, I performed slightly better on the muddy sections, where there was a lot of churn. On the uphill running sections, Joris was much stronger. All in all, we were quite evenly matched. I struggled at times when he accelerated, but when I knew I could still catch up and overcome, I suspected it was okay."
Iserbyt expresses satisfaction with his current condition. "It's been consistently good all season. I'm three for three in the Superprestige, which is undoubtedly a dream start. Hopefully, I can maintain this momentum. The Superprestige is a goal of mine, and a strong start is half the battle in that regard. On Sunday, the World Cup race in Dendermonde is on the agenda, a race that, in terms of difficulty, is reminiscent of the challenging course in Niel." Iserbyt anticipates, "That's going to be very tough again.' This week, I've decided to take it race by race and especially savor the experience. In past races, I sometimes didn't focus enough on enjoying the moment."