"Fortunately his bike wasn't broken" - Bart Wellens reacts to Eli Iserbyt getting caught up in more cyclocross controversy

Things haven't gone totally to plan for Eli Iserbyt so far this winter. With just one victory to his name this campaign to date, the Belgian national champion's hopes of success at Sunday's Flandriencross Hamme were dealt a blow when he crashed following an incident with a fan.

"You didn't see it on TV, but I was grabbed by the shoulder by a photographer and that's why I shoot off the track at high speed. That's how I fall and everyone runs over me," Iserbyt explained afterwards. "The shoulder feels a bit painful, but fortunately it is on the side. The collarbone remains undamaged. It will be difficult for two days, but I don't think this will have a big impact on the next races."

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Former cyclocross world champion Bart Wellens reflected on the incident as part of his post-weekend analysis for Het Nieuwsblad. “With Alvarado and Vandeputte everything works out, with Iserbyt that is not the case at the moment," he begins. "This time he was unlucky that the photographer made him fall. He really couldn't do anything about that, it was just an accident. Fortunately his bike wasn't broken."

As mentioned, Iserbyt has bagged just the sole victory so far this winter, but that hasn't kept his name out of the headlines. First, Iserbyt was suspended for stomping on rival Ryan Kamp's bike following a coming together, then the Belgian was the victim of crowd trouble as a fan threw their beer over him mid-race. Thankfully, despite this latest incident, Iserbyt was able to stay in the fight for victory, eventually coming home second behind Niels Vandeputte.

"It's impressive that Iserbyt still rode to that second place from a lost position,” Wellens adds. "You could still see that disappointment: after the finish he knocked on his handlebars. He may have had the legs to win, but this time he ran into a super strong Vandeputte. No victory again for Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal, but I still believe that the tide will turn for them."

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