"It is good that the police were able to take the man away immediately" - Eli Iserbyt responds to Koppenbergcross crowd trouble

The 2024 edition of the Koppenbergcross was held this afternoon. Although Lars van der Haar took a dominant victory, not for the first time this season, the big talking point afterwards involved Belgian national champion Eli Iserbyt.

On lap 2, as Iserbyt and teammate Michael Vanthourenhout looked to put the pressure on at the front of the race, a supporter at the side of the course vented his frustrations at Iserbyt, throwing a drink over the Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal star. A few moments later, TV cameras spotted the fan in question being escorted away from the race by security.

“I was not feeling well for a moment. It was right in my face. It was unexpected, I could not find my focus for a moment," reflected Iserbyt on the incident in his post-race interview, having finished in 2nd place, behind Van der Haar. "It is good that the police were able to take the man away immediately. It did not have a big impact on my race, but I still had to recover for a moment.”

“I am a bit disappointed with this result," Iserbyt adds. "Lars was definitely the strongest, his attack was impressive. I just didn't get on the wheel and then got stuck a bit. I feel that my condition is good, but I keep bumping into someone who is just a bit better. There is always someone who is a bit fresher in the gear. Maybe I should focus on that in training.”

Results: Koppenbergcross 2024