This is Eli's first Sunday off. iserbyt After many weeks of competitions and travel, his season began very early in September when he showed up for the long American World Cup trip, laying the foundations for his conquest of the crystal trophy. Until the last race, the Belgian champion of the Pauwels Sauzen Bingoal he tried to keep his concentration high by avoiding any distractions, but you can hear from his voice how he is finally more relaxed, after a year of living life to the fullest.
This season Iserbyt has bagged 14 victories, half of which in the World Cup circuit, going on to win the crystal trophy with a good lead: «Having succeeded in advance gave me a lot of satisfaction, even if the race I liked the most was the one in Koksijde, the seventh testWe weren't even halfway there, but that victory gave me the confidence I needed to do what I wanted. It was the best moment of the year."
How would you rate your season overall?
It was definitely good, it couldn't be otherwise. considering the number of partial successes and the two main challenges of the season achieved (World Cup and super prestige, ed.). I can only be happy with how things went.
How much did the lack of presence of Van Aert and Van Der Poel, at least compared to the past, influence the development of the season?
Meanwhile Van Aert He competed for over a month and his presence in the group was greatly felt. It was already known beforehand that this year they would prioritize preparation for the road, then Van der Poel he had the problems we know about and was practically never seen. It's clear that their presence or absence changes the balance when they're not there, but the coin must be looked at from both sides, which also means being ready when the opportunity arises.
Many still remember very well your terrible fall from grace. Heusden 2020, with the serious arm injury. How important was it for you to win two challenges a year later?
A lot, they had a particular meaning because that accident had left me with some uncertainty, even though I had returned to racing before the end of the season, but it wasn't meThe recovery was long and slow. The team was very supportive, never pressuring me to approach the season the right way after the injury, and the results were there to see.
During the winter you said "It's better to win five races without Van Aert and Van Der Poel than two against them.", aren't you afraid that their absence will devalue your victories a little?
I stand by what I said, and I didn't say it out of awe for them. Two years ago I achieved a couple of victories with them present, and I did the same this year with Pidcock. The concept I wanted to express is that a victory is a victory regardless, for me it is important to win without looking at who is present and who is not., but to win as much as possible, looking at the tournament rankings and above all at myself. In the end, it's the overall goal that counts. I'm happy because I did my job well, and people remember who's first, not who wasn't there...
Thinking back at the last world cup, did that bronze medal you archived leave you more satisfied or disappointed?
Both things. I had set out to get the best result and at the start I saw that I wasn't in the shape I wanted., the race didn't go my way. In the end, I achieved the best I could in those conditions, but clearly, given how I'd done the previous Sunday, I expected something more.
Considering the World and European Championships, you've won 11 medals across the various categories, including five golds. However, it's undeniable that in major competitions you seem to suffer from the weight of responsibility. Do you feel a particular psychological burden on those occasions?
That's a good question… It's true, I can't deny it, title races are not like the others.I always suffer a little on the eve of them, but it must not be forgotten that I'm still young, I think it's part of my journey of maturation. When I'm racing for a title and I see that things aren't going my way, I get down quickly and that's not good. It's an aspect I have to work on knowing that I have many other championships to play.
What will you do now?
I'll split my time between road races on the Belgian calendar and MTB events. I wouldn't mind taking part in some World Cup races on fat tires, but I'll continue on both fronts, always keeping in mind the preparation for the cyclocross season.
Don't you think that if you could compete on the road in the World Tour, it could have a positive impact on cyclocross like it does for the "3 tenors"?
It's hard to say if I would be stronger. The discussion is broader: I have to understand where and how I can improve to bring my body to its best performance.I look to the future as a discovery to understand how to go ever stronger in cyclocross, which is and always will be my world.
