Eli Iserbyt extends X2O Trofee lead despite racing with a broken shoe - "In any case, it was a successful day"

Cyclocross sees races that can be changed in the blink of an eye. That could've happened yesterday at the X2O Trofee Koksijde where cup leader Eli Iserbyt broke a shoe early in the race, but the Belgian rode to fourth and even extended his lead despite the adversities.

“One of my two shoes broke in the second lap. Then I thought: shit, the standings,” Iserbyt said in the post-race interview. “If you change those shoes, you lose a lot of time. I put it off every lap because I wanted to stay with Lars anyway. My foot kept popping out when I walked. It wasn't ideal, but I'm still very happy with the result."

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Iserbyt couldn't keep up with the front group fighting for victory, but his target was in the Dutch champion's wheel. Iserbyt managed to keep the pace of van der Haar, and ride to a close fourth place at the end of the day only seconds behind Mathieu van der Poel and Laurens Sweeck.

"It was a bit of a mess in the beginning. From the moment the shoe shot off, there was some panic. But luckily they are good shoes and you can continue riding with one shoe," the Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal rider continued.

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“The first three were soon too far away. In the first lap I was more in my head with my shoe and I lost some places. But I'm happy with the race. I also rode fairly well through the sand for my doing, I also worked on my relaxation technique in the sand. In any case, it was a successful day," Iserbyt concluded.

Iserbyt now holds 1:36 minutes over Lars van der Haar. By no means a safe lead, but a bigger one than the one he started the day with. The cup still has three more rounds in Hamme, Lille and Brussels where the standings will be decided.

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Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal

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4️⃣th for @IserbytEli after a tough battle with Lars in the sand of Koksijde.💪🏼 Well done!👏🏼 #FightToTheFinish 📸 Photopress.be

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