Eli Iserbyt struggles to find ways Wout Van Aert can threaten MVDP's seventh title: "Every year you think: Mathieu won’t get any better... but then he arrives and he's just phenomenal"
Cyclocross
Being a full-time cyclocrosser in the era of Mathieu van der Poel and Wout Van Aert is not easy. Eli Iserbyt would know a thing or two about that. Despite his undisputable quality and talent, he can only aim as high as for bronze medal in Liévin today because in most scenarios, the two men will be minutes ahead of anyone else. Again.
Iserbyt hopes to have his best legs today in the most important cross of the season. "A World Championship is something special and big every year. It is the cross with the most spectators and there is always a great atmosphere. It is a very special competition for us. It is extra difficult to climb onto the podium this year. The last time that Wout and Mathieu participated was in Hoogerheide and then I came third. That was actually a very nice moment. I still cherish that. I hope to be in third place again on Sunday," he declares modestly for WielerFlits.
Can Van Aert even do anything about the seemingly invincible Dutchman? "Wout himself has already said that he – when he has the space – has to ride forward as quickly as possible. Then he will have to let his own legs do the talking. Then it is up to the rest to ride their own race and win as many medals as possible. Mathieu is of course 90% favorite, but something can still go wrong. It is an atypical course and that plays into Wout’s hands," Iserbyt believes.
But how should the Belgian leader tackle the six-time world champion and big favorite for the title? "Well, I’ve been asking myself that for six years," laughs Iserbyt. "Wout did beat him for a few years, but… Every year you think: Mathieu won’t get any better. But then he starts the cyclo-cross season with a performance that makes you think: I’ll have to revise my opinion. It’s phenomenal. Wout is also phenomenal, but the level is super high. It’s super difficult to find points on which Mathieu can be beaten."
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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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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