"Eli against the aliens" and "Fairy tales will remain fairy tales": Iserbyt on his battle with Van Aert and Van der Poel!

Eli Iserbyt surely deserves a compliment for participating in all the cyclo-cross races this winter. Whether it's the World Cup, Superprestige, X2O Trophy, or a standalone race, the slender Belgian from Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal is competing for victory. He realizes, however, that with the impending return of Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert, the story might change.

This pattern has been repeating for years: the imminent return of the two great stars. While Iserbyt has previously proclaimed his desire to compete with them, he now fully acknowledges his position. It's not that he doesn't want to win, but it's more about being realistic.

On Saturday, he referred to the two men in Boom as "aliens," and on Sunday in Flamanville, he provided more context to HLN. "Then, I am only racing for a podium spot at most. I have pursued a utopia for four years, believing I could beat them. But fairy tales will remain fairy tales. I no longer believe in them," Iserbyt stated unequivocally.

Iserbyt on the busy cyclo-cross calendar and his commitment to compete in all races: "You just have to plan it"

He won't be in Essen next Saturday due to the difficult travel to Sunday's race in Val di Sole. "Unless I had a helicopter," said Iserbyt, who, unlike much of his competition, participates in all races. "I chose to compete in all races at the start of the season. You just have to plan it. During the week, I take good care of myself. I get massages, visit the physiotherapist. My wife, my family, my wife's family, they all do everything for me," the Belgian cyclist expressed his gratitude to his loved ones.