Belgian champion Eli Iserbyt (Team Pauwels Sauzen-Cibel Clementines) began the New Year with a victory on Wednesday at the Sven Nys cyclocross in Baal, his fourth of the season.
"This victory makes up for a lot" of things for the rider, who suffers in his left leg from piriformis syndrome, the compression of the sciatic nerve by the piriformis muscle.
Iserbyt seems to be back on form after having to skip last week's World Cup race in Gavere. He had not won since 24 November in Antwerp.
"That was a long time ago," Iserbyt said. "Today, I really needed to be out in front. I'd agreed to concentrate on the last half-hour of this race. In fact, I was already feeling good in the first two laps.
"At the end, I was able to make the difference with an acceleration, even though Pim Ronhaar and Emiel Verstrynge rode really well."
Ronhaar (Netherlands) and Verstrynge (Belgium) finished 2nd and 3rd respectively.
Iserbyt added that he had "a bit more strength in [his] left leg again" and that he was very happy.
‘I'm still not 100% fit. I'm still fighting this injury," the Belgian champion said, "but this victory makes up for a lot. When I was a kid, I always watched this race on TV, and this race was also one of the reasons I became a cyclocross racer."
