Eli Iserbyt announced his retirement from professional cycling on Thursday evening in an emotional video message. The 28-year-old cyclocross rider had already missed this season due to a persistent injury to his femoral artery and was forced to stop on doctors' advice. The day after, it becomes clear how difficult the former Belgian champion is finding his farewell.
"These were supposed to be the golden years of my career. I had put all my ambition and character into cyclocross. And now that life suddenly disappears," Iserbyt shares his story with Sporza. "I didn’t want to stop at all—that’s not in me. But after 4 surgeries and a long process, the doctors said the medical path was exhausted. That hit me very hard."
In early November, there was still talk of Iserbyt returning to cyclocross. "I was given a plan to gradually build up my training load. But when I was allowed to do everything again during training, it quickly deteriorated within a week. Anything over a heart rate of 100 caused severe pain in my leg," the former Belgian champion reveals candidly.
"We immediately searched for solutions, but we didn’t find any. It’s just bad luck. Moreover, an operation on an artery is a very serious procedure. The more you cut into an artery, the worse the tissue gets. And I underwent that surgery 4 times."
These surgeries have also taken their toll. "At the moment, I can only walk. Cycling and running are not possible, and I probably will never be able to again, because the artery in my left leg is heavily damaged. I find that very unfortunate. Mentally, it remains challenging as well. The uncertainty gnawed at me. I stopped sleeping, I shut myself away, and I wasn’t living anymore. Fortunately, throughout my career, I’ve gained a team that supports me enormously. I think that is currently my salvation."
Despite this, Iserbyt is proud of his career, but what lies ahead for him is still unknown. "At this moment, there’s nothing concrete. I’m open to many things. It’s not because cycling is no longer an option that I have lost my ambition and character. I believe I can find that again in a role. That could be with my current team. But I think it’s much too soon now to think about that. First, I want to put everything in order."
