Iserbyt comes out on top in dual with Van der Haar in Troyes
Sunday 19 November 2023
Troyes welcomed the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup for the first time and it promised to be an exciting battle, with Eli Iserbyt looking for his first win of the season. With the leader in the stands, Lars van der Haar and Joris Nieuwenhuis, were ready for an intense confrontation.
The race started as usual with Eli Iserbyt’s characteristic fast start, but this time he slipped out of his pedal. Niels Vandeputte took advantage of the situation and got off to an excellent start. Ryan Kamp took the lead on the slope, where Kuypers also joined. At the end of the first lap, it was Lars van der Haar who took the lead and managed to create a small gap, while Eli Iserbyt followed a short distance behind due to his poor start and a flat front tyre.
In the opening phase, Van der Haar came across as a man possessed. Gerben Kuypers followed as the first pursuer. Iserbyt and Kuypers joined forces in pursuit of Van der Haar. Iserbyt was so strong that he quickly shook off Kuypers and Nys, but Kuypers was able to rejoin him later after a strong passage on the stairs.
Entering the fourth lap, Van der Haar had a lead of 10 seconds, but Iserbyt had him in his sights. After a small mistake on the slope, Iserbyt had to concede a few seconds. Both Van der Haar and Iserbyt showed off their impressive technique on the course.
Iserbyt was going all out and he started the fifth lap with a deficit of just 7 seconds. After a bike change by Van der Haar, Iserbyt was back at the head of the race. Iserbyt immediately put Van der Haar under pressure, kept the pace high and took a small lead.
Van der Haar looked strong, but it was Iserbyt who profited and he took off. With a small advantage of 5 seconds, Iserbyt entered the final lap. Van der Haar did not give up and sprinted towards the finish, but Iserbyt maintained his lead and rode to victory. Iserbyt became the new leader in the World Cup, just one point ahead of Van der Haar. Third place went to a strong Joris Nieuwenhuis, who had a nice battle with Gerben Kuypers. Iserbyt rode faster every lap and came out on top in the battle, making him the rightful winner of the fourth round in Troyes.
