Although Michael Vanthourenhout gave his utmost and secured second place, there was a funeral atmosphere around the Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw team campers in Lokeren. There, team manager Jurgen Mettepenningen had to reveal the bad news that his other leader, Eli Iserbyt, would not be returning to competition for the time being.
His comeback was scheduled for November 11th, during the Jaarmarktcross in Niel. A date that the Mettepenningen cross team had only recently announced. "We were still hoping a couple of weeks ago that it would work out. All signs were positive, even very good. But then Eli suffered a setback during training," Mettepenningen tells our camera.
What exactly does a setback entail?
"The old injury, with that pain in the left leg, unfortunately started to flare up again. The blood flow in the femoral artery isn’t optimal, which means he can’t show his maximum capacity. Forcing it doesn’t make sense then. November 11th is far too soon to have Eli back in the field."
We understand between the lines that Iserbyt might not race again this season.
"We’re going to get a second opinion next week at UZ Ghent from a specialist. Afterwards it will become clear fairly quickly whether this can be resolved in the short or long term. Then we will assess it with the medical team. But to be clear: we shouldn’t get our hopes up. The tone today is rather pessimistic than positive. The surgeries have not been 100% successful."
How is Eli coping with this?
"It’s very difficult. Eli is a professional, a sportsman through and through, and a winner who gives everything. When you continuously get held back by an injury, that’s hard to accept. Naturally. Eli is 28 and this is his job. It’s important that he processes this, and then maybe we can think about a return to racing. But right now, that’s secondary."
Iserbyt has always been a guarantee for victories - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
Are you implying a possible end to his career?
"I think my tone isn’t enthusiastic, and that means it’s not good news. I don’t want to dramatize it. But we need to be realistic, and that means it’s not going to happen now. Maybe we need to think about the medium term."
"The problem is: he has already had surgery twice for this injury. They’re always cutting inside your body. Those scars are incredible. You have to be mentally strong to handle that. I don’t know if Eli is ready to undergo surgery again. Racing comes second. Getting him one hundred percent healthy might be the start of a new beginning, and that is the priority."
What is the difference compared to other riders who have had surgery on their femoral artery?
"Riders like Jonas Rickaert and Marianne Vos have returned at the highest level. Then I think Eli has just been unlucky. Maybe the surgeries weren’t 100% successful. That’s why it’s important that we can see a new specialist this week. Maybe after that, we can outline a future plan again."
Can he still ride a bike at the moment?
"He cycles a little bit, but mostly he walks. He could potentially ride, but at a low level. Racing is off the table. He loses 50% of his power in one leg."
What does Iserbyt’s provisional absence mean for you as a team?
"Michael Vanthourenhout has started well and is delivering fantastic performances. But with Eli alongside Michael, you have a top duo. We’re missing that for now. In some races, it becomes tactical. That’s difficult, especially against a block like Crelan-Corendon. The question now is: how do we handle this situation within the team? We always had two or three leaders, now only one. That will require some adjustment."
