If anyone knows what it’s like to have to end your career prematurely, it’s Niels Albert. The two-time cyclocross world champion had to stop racing at the age of 28 due to a heart rhythm disorder and now closely relates to Eli Iserbyt. “I know what kind of period he is going through now,” he says on Sporza Daily.
On Thursday, Iserbyt announced on his social media that he was forced to quit cyclocross. The Belgian underwent a total of four surgeries on his iliac artery and had to stop on doctors’ advice.
“I know what it’s like to be in that position, having to stop at the peak of your abilities. It’s hard to describe how that feels,” Albert explains. “In those first weeks, you still hold onto the idea that someone will call with a solution to get you back on the bike. You still live on a shred of hope.”
“But on the other hand, you also realize: nothing more will come. You know you’ve explored every avenue and that miracles ultimately don’t exist. That’s a very difficult process to accept. In those first days, there is still a lot of sympathy. That’s nice, let that be clear. But the hardest period still has to come for Eli. When cyclocross goes on and you slowly disappear from the media, while you have to search for a new life, a new drive.”
Albert says he did everything to forget about the sudden end of his career. “I also went through a phase where I went out a lot, went to many festivals. A bit of partying to forget everything. And then I also quite quickly started renovating the shop (Albert runs a bike shop, ed.). It’s a very unfortunate situation for Eli.”
