Cyclocross ex-pro believes Eli Iserbyt shouldn't have been suspended, but a heavier fine would be the right solution: "A real fine, a heavy fine. 15,000 euros"

The cyclocross season thus far has been marked not by a race result but an altercation between Eli Iserbyt and Ryan Kamp. The quite surprising incident between former teammates continues to create discussion week and a half later and legend of the sport Niels Albert shares his thoughts on the suspension and fine that the Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal rider received as a result.

The two tumbled and Iserbyt very deliberately stepped on Kamp's deraileur as he got back on the bike, breaking it. Such action was viewed extremely negatively by the audience and calls for heavy consequences were constant. Iserbyt was, a week later, fined 2500 Swiss Francs and also 3 races (including the Superprestige opening round in Ruddervoorde).

“Iserbyt can almost forget about the Superprestige ranking. That is a very heavy penalty for him, but it is also a loss for the tension of the entire competition. That is also a shame for the organizer and the fans," Albert argues in a column for Het Laatste Nieuws. Consistency is key in the eight-round cup and the defending champion starts off on the wrong foot. He believes that Iserbyt should not have been removed from competition temporarily, but instead focus on the financial side of it as a deterrent for other athletes to do the same in the future.

"That is why I opted for a fine. A real fine, a heavy fine. 15,000 euros. Then you as the UCI send the signal that you mean business and you hit the athlete where it hurts most: in his wallet. You can be sure that such an amount is a deterrent.”

However Albert was also keen on not closing the subject there. Most likely, he is also aware that after Iserbyt broke Kamp's bike, the Dutchman grabbed him and also called him 'fucking dwarf' (although this has not been confirmed by either sides). Iserbyt did later apologize on social media and also said he called the other rider to apologize. Kamp himself had said: "Iserbyt called on Saturday evening and apologized. I don’t know why I wouldn’t accept that. For me, it was over then."

But Albert would like to know if Kamp did say those words during the altercation: “I think the UCI should not let that pass. If you start swearing and insulting someone and hurting them in such a way, you are also crossing a line. A comment may be made about that too. I think the UCI should also investigate that side of the story, It will not be easy to prove things, but it should at least be looked into. Wouldn’t there be witnesses to that? Aren’t there any colleagues who can tell more? It almost has to be.”