Eli Iserbyt previews cyclocross Belgian nationals and rates his chances: "I'm going to do my best anyway"

Eli Iserbyt leads the World Cup and Superprestige and had good form over the Christmas block. However following that he fell ill and has had to let go of a few races. Going into the Belgian national championships, he will make for an interesting contender.

"I'm getting better day by day. I have been quite deep both physically and mentally, hopefully I can continue to build on that sixth place in Zonhoven," Iserbyt shared with Het Laatste Nieuws. "Or I hope for the title? I'm going to do my best anyway. If I don't win, it's a disappointment that day and we just move on afterwards. I'm just trying to work hard for it, but I won't be able to reach my level before my illness. If what is added now is extra for me."

Without Wout van Aert, the race is rather open this season as many riders are racing at a similar level. Currently that is the case, but the Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal rider doesn't believe the track will favour anyone in specific: "Meulebeke has not been Meulebeke for a long time. The Berencross used to be a twist and turn competition. At intervals. They said at the time that it was an 'Eli course', but that is no longer the case at all. It is rather a combination of a park and meadow cross. A pinch of Urban Cross Kortrijk, but also somewhere in the direction of the World Cup in Dendermonde."

"It is not a good course for anyone, but it is also not a bad course for anyone. This makes it a reasonably good circuit as a championship, because everyone can do their thing somewhere in that 2,900-meter loop. For [Michael] Vanthourenhout it is the zone with the hills, for [Laurens] Sweeck the sand strips and for me there are still some bends, but fewer and fewer. While [Thibau] Nys can do a little bit of everything."