At the Exact Cross opener in Belgium on Saturday, Lars van der Haar took the victory, but the day quickly became overshadowed by a dramatic clash between Eli Iserbyt and Ryan Kamp. Their rivalry took a contentious turn when a crash led to Iserbyt expressing his frustration by stomping on Kamp’s rear wheel, raising eyebrows and questions about their long-standing tensions.
After the race, Iserbyt further elaborated in an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws, stating, “It was dirty. My reaction stemmed from his comments. I won’t repeat what was said, but it definitely fueled my frustration. I fell hard and hit my chin, which left me shocked. When you’re pushing for a win and something unexpected occurs, it stirs up a lot of emotions.”
A “rash” moment
At the annual Kristallen Fiets (Crystal Bike) gala held in Kruisen, Belgium, that honours the best riders from the country, Eli Iserbyt was asked once again about the incident.
“I just realized afterwards that it was a big mistake on my part,” he said. “It was a rash moment, a wild reaction. That really doesn’t belong in such a sporting event, especially not as the Belgian champion.”
Remco Evenepoel and Lotte Kopecky not surprisingly took the top prizes at the event. Evenepoel won both Olympic golds on the road, and Kopecky had another dominant season, culminating in defending her rainbow jersey in Zurich.
“I truly understand that. The apologies have also been made to Ryan, to the team, and to the organization,” he added to many people. “I really understand that it’s not done. Now, I’m looking forward to the upcoming races and trying to approach training and competitions with a positive mindset.”
Eli Iserbyt krijgt het aan de stok met Ryan Kamp. #veldrijden pic.twitter.com/92JiLn6nXY
— Sporza 🚴 (@sporza_koers) October 12, 2024
However, some have said his apology isn’t enough, and the Belgian deserves more discipline than simply being disqualified. A former Belgian pro said that more needs to be done. Writing in his column for Het Nieuwsblad, he said, “A disqualification is not enough; the UCI will have to send a message. The UCI will have to think carefully about what to do with this. Not because it’s Eli, and not because I want it, but the UCI needs to act swiftly.”
As of Wednesday, he has not received any suspension and is set to race the next Exact Cross in Essen, Belgium.
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