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Epic battle between Van Aert and Iserbyt in Gullegem; Georges gets fitting birthday gift
Cyclo-crossSaturday, 04 January 2025 at 16:55
Wout van Aert claimed victory in the Superprestige cyclo-cross race in Gullegem. After an exciting showdown in the women’s race, the men’s competition was arguably even more thrilling. A man-to-man duel between Van Aert and Eli Iserbyt lasted over two laps and was decided in the final round after two consecutive mistakes by the Belgian champion.
Van Aert had an excellent start. Despite beginning from the third row due to only racing once this winter, he was already in the top five by the first turn. Laurens Sweeck confidently charged ahead, with Van Aert quickly settling into second place. Strong riders like Felipe Orts, Eli Iserbyt, Michael Vanthourenhout, and Lars van der Haar were also among the front group.
As with the women’s race, the selective course soon started to thin the field. In the second lap, Vanthourenhout increased the pace, bringing along only the Crelan-Corendon duo of Sweeck and Joran Wyseure. Van Aert recognized the danger and surged decisively to bridge the gap. The speed was incredible, but the third lap demonstrated the depth of talent in the field, with no fewer than 14 riders forming a single line.
It was during the fourth of eight laps that Van Aert took the lead for the first time, and predictably, the pace ramped up even further. Vanthourenhout, showing himself fully recovered from recent illness, managed to hang on. Sweeck and Wyseure began to fall back slightly, but there were no Mathieu van der Poel-style gaps opening up either.
Read more below the video
Van Aert in a masterful battle against Iserbyt
For a while, it seemed destined to be a head-to-head showdown. As the Crelan-Corendon riders dropped off, Van Aert and Vanthourenhout pushed on. However, it wasn’t the green-and-white jerseys that posed the threat—it was the Belgian champion’s jersey of Iserbyt that suddenly surged forward. This left Van Aert facing not one but two Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal riders, with Wyseure breaking away from Sweeck to form a quartet of leaders.
In the pit zone, Iserbyt stirred some drama by seemingly tossing his bike (perhaps unintentionally) into Wyseure’s path. But in the sixth lap, the Belgian champion launched his attack. Van Aert struggled to stay in touch but refused to let go. Meanwhile, Niels Vandeputte was making a strong comeback in the Superprestige standings, climbing all the way to fifth place after a disastrous start, with two laps to go.
It was then that Van Aert seized the lead once again, with only Iserbyt able to follow. The big man versus the small one, and the smaller rider seemed to be on the limit—or was he? After a lightning-fast seventh lap, Iserbyt boldly took the lead. It became a back-and-forth battle until Van Aert unleashed one final explosive move. Iserbyt, forced to take risks to keep up, made two consecutive mistakes, allowing Van Aert to create the decisive gap.
Results Superprestige cyclo-cross Gullegem - Elite men 2025
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
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Latest Comments
- This was very informative! Luiz Antonio Duarte Ferreiraluizantonioduarteferreira02-01-2025
- Well explained, thanks for the clarity! Daniel DantasDanieldantas20-12-2024
- This is the kind of 'news' that belongs in a cheap tabloid. No matter how boring the offseason gets, nobody wants to read this.
santiagobenites19-12-2024 - I wish we could have seen him try. He'd absolutely get dropped before Pogi overtakes his domestiquesVeganpotter10-12-2024
- Talk is cheap! Next year barring crashes with a healthy team... all well be on track! Some need to talk to make a headline!mootman27-11-2024
- I do not see this event listed on HBO Max Sports Online? Can anyone confirm? Thanks!
MrYuck23-11-2024 - It seemed that he was focusing forward at the time of the crash, after seeing a quick video snippet. But one thing I think he should focus on more intently is breaking a bad habit he has, right now. And that is his constant looking over his shoulders. He does that so much, that I am very sure it is not good for him. Simply watch videos of the greats of CX and you will see very little of that constant looking over their shoulders. That is a behavior that betrays a bit of insecurity on his part. He shouldn't be so concerned, incessantly, about what is over his shoulder. He needn't worry they didn't all disappear. He neds to keep his focus more ahead of himself, and he needs to pay a bit more attention to himself, in a confident manner. It is very frustrating to watch, because it is apparent that he has a lot of potential, and is in much better shape thwan many of his competitors, but the mental game needs to be sharpened more, because that part of strategy plays a huge part in the final results
reemmo022-11-2024 - hahahaha love this shit! I didnt even watched the race, but reading all the gossip articles of how stupid this is!Zatoichi19-11-2024
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024