Eli Iserbyt's 2024-25 cyclocross got off to an inauspicious start last week after the Belgian was disqualified from his first race of the season, the Exact Cross in Beringen, for intentionally stomping on rival Ryan Kamp's (Fenix-Deceuninck) bike.
Now, the Belgian has been handed further punishment, with the UCI giving him a three-race ban for the incident.
Iserbyt's Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal team confirmed the suspension on Saturday, informing that the UCI has taken the decision to ban the reigning Belgian and UCI World Cup champion.
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Iserbyt and Kamp crashed together on a muddy descent as they chased across to a five-rider lead group on the fifth of eight laps in Beringen. After picking up his bike, Iserbyt climbed over Kamp's and stomped on the Dutchman's Canyon.
Kamp then grabbed Iserbyt as the pair exchanged words before both men struggled to get going again. Iserbyt remounted his Ridley and rode off first while Kamp was forced to run to the pits for a bike change with his own bike appearing to have suffered a broken rear derailleur.
An official stationed in the pits disqualified Iserbyt later in the race, while Kamp finished in 22nd place, 3:50 behind winner Lars van der Haar (Baloise Trek Lions).
Iserbyt, who finished second at the Kermiscross in Ardooie on Thursday, will now miss this weekend's racing at the Exact Cross in Essen and the Superprestige in Ruddervoorde.
"Eli Iserbyt will not start in Essen and Ruddervoorde this weekend. He will also remain on the sidelines in the Dutch Heerderstrand. The UCI has suspended the Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal rider for three races after his slip-up in the opening cross of Beringen," Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal stated.
"Halfway through the Exact Cross in Beringen, Eli Iserbyt was taken out of the race. The rider of Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal fell together with another rider, after which the tempers calmed down for a while. It earned Iserbyt a fine of 100 Swiss francs after the race.
"Eli Iserbyt apologised to the rider involved after the race, but in the meantime the UCI has also announced an additional sanction. The rider will be suspended for three races, which means he will miss the Exact Cross in Essen, the Telenet Superprestige in Ruddervoorde and the race in the Dutch Heerderstrand. In addition, there will be an additional fine of 2,500 Swiss francs [£2,215]."
Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal team manager Jurgen Mettepenningen said that the UCI could have "solved this differently", noting that he had hoped the previous punishment was enough.
"Eli has already apologised publicly, as well as to Kamp himself," he said. "I had hoped that his punishment with a disqualification and fine was already behind him. This additional sanction will affect the Superprestige ranking.
"In addition, Eli also misses out on starting fees and this is also a shame for the organisers of these three races. The UCI could have solved this differently."
