Iserbyt wins opening World Cup with long solo effort in Waterloo

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Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauces-Bingoal) picked up exactly where he left off in the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup last year, taking a victory in the opening race in Waterloo, Wisconsin to begin his series title defence.

The Belgian bided his time on the opening lap as Trek CX Cup winner and European Champion Lars van der Haar (Baloise Trek Lions) took the hole shot. Then, after another lap, Iserbyt made a surge and never looked back.

"I had a nice race, it was good to race alone," Iserbyt said. "I had a gap and kept the pressure really high. It was the plan, you just have to have really good legs."

With teammate Michael Vanthourenhout moving in front of the riders behind to slow their chase, the rest never got close. Laurens Sweeck in his new Crelan-Firstaids colours, dispatched the rest of the trailing group to ride in for second place.

Van der Haar attacked Vanthourenhout in the closing moments to claim the final podium spot, while Thibaut Nys (Baloise Trek Lions) wheelied in for fifth in retribution for last year's collarbone-fracturing crash in this race.

“I was really surprised by Eli today, he was really, really outstanding. I tried to keep the gap as close as possible but then I got surprised by Laurens. That was a little stupid of me to go too far back, however I think he was still better anyway,” Friday’s C1 winner Van der Haar said. “And then it was just focus on that third place.

“I felt with three or four laps to go, maybe Thibau [Nys] should try, so I tried to give him a gap once or twice but unfortunately Michael [Vanthorenhout] did not let that go. Then for me it was all-in on the last lap.”

Iserbyt won on a rain-soaked course last year and hoped the cloudy conditions Sunday would deliver again rather than the dry, dusty course that produced such a fast race.

“I like it a little more wet, but today was good. It’s pretty technical [Waterloo course] and that suits me pretty well,” Iserbyt said. “When I have very good legs I can really push on the laps like this. I struggled a little bit the last three weeks with my body, but now everything is perfect. I’m happy.”

On the fourth lap of the men’s nine-lap race, a massive train had formed in the chase of Iserbyt. It took another circuit for Sweeck, Van der Haar, Vanthourenhout and Nys to create separation. And from that first chase group, Sweeck hit the accelerator for a charge in pursuit of Iserbyt on the back side of the course, closing him down to just under 10 seconds.

“I backed off a little when he closed the gap to eight seconds, and I went full gas again - pushing, pushing, pushing, and keep breathing, keep breathing, and don’t make mistakes. It’s pretty boring in my head in the race,” Iserbyt recounted about Sweeck charging from behind and his push to add more daylight at the front. “It was really one hour of full gas. It was pretty hard.”

Half of the ride completed, Iserbyt continued his lone charge ahead of Sweeck. A second chase group, almost 30 seconds back, included a trio of riders - Nys, Vanthourenhout and Van der Haar. In the distance Pim Ronhaar (Baloise Trek Lions) joined forces with Daan Soete (Deschacht-Hens-Maes) and Toon Vanderbosch (Alpecin-Deceuninck).

The gap held steady between Iserbyt and Sweeck for another lap, but Sweeck had a bobble before the Belgian Stairs in a corner, staying upright but losing time. It was on that lap that Felipe Nystrom Spencer of Costa Rica, riding in last place, became a crowd favourite when he stopped at the barriers, dismounted to applaud the crowd and then rode on, only 15 seconds from being caught by Iserbyt.

Over the final three laps Iserbyt extended his lead and won for a third time at World Cup Waterloo. Sweeck, a former teammate, held on for second, while Van der Haar dropped the hammer on his companions at the final flyover and hit the pavement to take third place.

“I was really riding from the beginning to try to close the gap to the front because I was like 15th or 20th, so from the beginning I was in the back giving it full gas. I was far from the front and didn’t see him [Iserbyt] leaving. I think everybody was trying to close the gap, but it was not going fast enough. I had something in the legs to try to close it, but it was just not enough,” Sweeck said. “It was not easy to ride faster than Eli, I think I did it one lap. It was a tough race.”

It was the second podium of the year for Sweeck, who finished third and one spot behind Iserbyt at Poldercross in September. Iserbyt was complimentary of his former Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal teammate after the race. 

“It’s better for him, better for us, better for the race. He was pretty excited today, and that’s good. He can race his race and we can do our race so I think everybody is a little more free. We have a lot of respect for each other, so I think this season will be interesting.”

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