The Exact Cross in Maldegem turned into a one on one battle between the two leaders of Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal, Eli Iserbyt and Michael Vanthourenhout. This was a consequence of Pim Ronhaar's ill-timed fall which allowed Iserbyt to ride towards victory.
"It was a shame that Pim fell, but I was just about to make my attack. I was behind it and was in the mood, I wanted to give it everything," he explains in a quick interview afterwards. After Ronhaar's crash, Iserbyt rode Vanthourenhout's wheel for a while, but then he still chose to attack. "Niels Vandeputte came back, so I wanted to add an extra gear just to be sure."
Iserbyt almost fell too. "I was just able to avoid his bike. I think he was stuck after his acceleration, and then you can make mistakes," he reflects. "We were having a good race, this 1-2 is great. So it is a very nice day for our team. I hope to take a few more victories, although it was certainly not easy today. But we will still have some great races, I think."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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