Iserbyt overcomes nerve pain, while Ronhaar struggles with back: : "I cried one hour on the bike"

The last time Iserbyt won a cyclo-cross was already in Antwerp, almost a month and a half ago. "It's been a very long time. I had to get used to it again initially; we knew it was a long race. We also discussed beforehand focusing on the last half hour. But in the first two laps, I felt pretty good and was able to settle in a bit. I could make the difference in the end with good acceleration, but I think Pim and Emiel also rode an excellent race."

The Pauwels Sauzen - Cibel Clementine's man struggles with a nerve injury, but it went much better on Wednesday. "I felt a little more strength in my left leg again. That's nice. Then, you can go to a little more full-on specific sections, but overall, I felt great throughout the race. Also, for the team and the new sponsor, Cibel, it's nice that we can take our first victory immediately."

Ronhaar, together with Verstrynge, seemed to be in position for victory for a long time but came up short in the last phase. "It wasn't bad, but the level is dropping a bit after the Lyme virus. In the previous two weeks, I had a lot of problems with my back; I was crying on the bike for an hour because of the pain. It was much better today, but it hurt a lot in the end. But with a new sponsor, you have to do everything you can."

When Iserbyt joined the two leaders, the Dutch rider knew he had a tough competitor. "At one point, I was on Eli's wheel. He attacked, but I felt I was better. But he could keep that up for several laps, and I could only do it for one lap." Verstrynge felt the same way. "When in that position, you always think about winning anyway. But with an Eli Iserbyt with you, it won't be easy. I could hold on to the second-to-last lap but was over the limit. In the last lap, it was a fight to keep Toon behind me."