Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) powered to victory on the final lap of the Superprestige round in Ruddervoorde, dropping Lars van der Haar (Baloise Trek Lions) by staying on his bike over a steep ramp while the Dutchman had to dismount and holding a slender lead to the line.
Iserbyt’s teammate Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) rounded out the podium in third after working well with his Belgian teammate throughout the nine-lap race but running out of steam.
Vanthourenhout took an early lead from the gun which he held until the third lap with a slender advantage as the better riders started to separate themselves at the head of the race.
Everything came back together on the fifth lap as Laurens Sweek (Crelan-Corendon), Van der Haar, and Kevin Kuhn (Circus-Reuz-Technord) bridged across to the leading trio of Vanthourenhout, Iserbyt and Niels Vandenputte (Alpecin-Deceuninck).
The leading group battled for the next few laps, with the lead changing hand multiple times, but the difficulty of the course in Ruddervoorde allowed a large group to come back together, with the likes of British Champion Cameron Mason (Cyclocross Reds) bridging to the leaders.
Iserbyt and Vanthourenhout played team tactics at the front, taking turns to allow their teammates’ wheel to go and make others chase, but a mistake from Iserbyt allowed Van der Haar to take the lead off the Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal duo on lap seven as he got caught on a post.
Van der Haar took the bell in first after small errors from Iserbyt allowed him to keep the lead, maintaining the pressure into the final lap with Vanthourenhout appearing to tire in third wheel.
Iserbyt then made the race-winning move and retook the lead into a corner without much opposition from Van der Haar. The Dutch Champion was quickly left behind as the Belgian made the difference as he stayed on his bike up the final ascent of one of the steep banks, immediately gaining a five-second lead.
Iserbyt’s advantage ballooned out as Van der Haar was formed to dismount and then remount his bike instead of maintaining his momentum over the muddy ramps, allowing the 26-year-old to take his second win of the cyclocross season and second in the Superprestige series.
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