Don’t underestimate Van Aert on straight sections—It’s what cost Iserbyt the win

Eli Iserbyt finished second in the Superprestige race in Gullegem on Saturday. The Belgian champion battled fiercely with Wout van Aert deep into the finale but ultimately had to concede to his compatriot. After the race, Iserbyt shared his thoughts with IDLProCycling.com.

While Van Aert was only competing in his second cyclo-cross race of the season, Iserbyt has already endured a long campaign. Additionally, the Gullegem race was the penultimate event of the grueling "Christmas period." "I felt a bit tired beforehand because I had gone really deep yesterday (in Koksijde, ed.)," admitted Iserbyt.

Despite this, the Gullegem course suited the Pauwels Sauzen-Cibel rider, allowing him to find a good rhythm, move up the ranks, and eventually take on Van Aert. At times, Iserbyt even felt he had the upper hand. "On the technical sections, I felt really good. I might have even been a bit better than Wout there. But on the straights and during the running segments, I could feel he was the stronger one."

"In the beginning, it took some time to get into the race, and we were in a large group for quite a while," Iserbyt continued. "It was important to build some confidence during the laps, and I managed to do that. My confidence kept growing. I feel like I had a really strong race overall."

In the final lap, both Iserbyt and Van Aert pushed themselves to the limit. For Iserbyt, this led to a few crucial mistakes that ultimately decided the race. "In the last lap, I made two mistakes. I also slipped out of my pedal once. That allowed Wout to accelerate just a bit harder on the straight sections, and that was the final blow today," he reflected on the thrilling closing moments.

Overall, the second-place finisher noted that the course layout didn’t play to his strengths. "If the technical section had been at the end and the running section at the start, I might have had a chance to win. Technically, I was perhaps better, but the second part of the lap suited Wout more. Winning would have been tough regardless," Iserbyt admitted. "I would have needed a ten-second lead heading into that last section."

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Eurosport Nederland

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🚵​🇧🇪​ | De Battle of the Belgiums. Wout van Aert wint in Gullegem, na een heerlijke strijd met Eli Iserbyt. Beide mannen moesten tot het uiterste gaan! 👏​👏​ #Superprestige 📺​Stream cross op HBO Max

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Iserbyt saw Van Aert struggle too at times

Still, Iserbyt observed that Van Aert wasn’t always having an easy time. "At one point, I even overtook him to ride my own lines. Maybe I could make him a bit uncomfortable and force a mistake, but Wout is also very strong technically and managed to come back at just the right moment. It was a bit of back-and-forth, but he had just a bit more left in the tank on the key sections."

"The pace was high, and I was at my limit, but I could also see that Wout was giving it his all," Iserbyt analyzed. "On some sections, he might not have been able to fully unleash his power because it was so slippery. That worked to my advantage since, as a lightweight, I’m better at navigating tight turns. He struggled with that a bit more."

That also had to do with the specific course. "It was like soap—sliding and slipping everywhere. But I do enjoy that," said the Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal rider, who shared his tips for tackling such tracks when asked. "It's all about staying relaxed. Don’t try to go too fast; sometimes it’s actually better to go a bit slower. Letting the bike move freely is the key."

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Josselin Riou

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Wout van Aert débute sa reconnaissance du Superprestige de #Gullegem en compagnie d’Eli Iserbyt. #LesRP l #SPGullegem

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Iserbyt enjoyed his penultimate race in the Belgian Champion’s jersey

"I think I can be proud," he concluded. "My condition is good, and this is a really nice result, which gives me a lot of confidence. The morale is high, and it’s very special to finish my penultimate race in the Belgian champion’s jersey like this."

Iserbyt will defend his Belgian title on Sunday, January 12, in Zolder. His recent performances have already boosted his confidence for another year in the champion’s jersey. "After my win in Baal, I had the confidence that my condition is strong. Zolder, however, is a very different course—much less technical and with many long straight sections, which isn’t ideal for me. It’s a bit of a shame that it’s not more technical."

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