Yesterday in the first round of the Superprestige cup in Ruddervoorde, Eli Iserbyt kept his early-season dominance by taking the win, with Laurens Sweeck finishing second. Following the finish, Sweeck was not happy with how Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal had raced.
"They don't take their responsibility, I find that low," Sweeck told Sporza clearly frustrated with the Belgian race, before specifically referring to Iserbyt: "If you stay in the wheel for three, four laps, I think you win undeservedly. He should be a champion, then you also have to take responsibility." The two, former teammates at Pauwels Sauzen, now compete on different sides as Sweeck moved into Crelan - Fristads, and has been Iserbyt's main rival so far this year.
Read also
This morning, when talking to Sporza, Iserbyt has responded to what had been said the day before. “The only one who was in the wheel a lot was Quinten [Hermans]. Laurens always wanted to be the first in the sand, so I let him do it. It's a shame he says that, because I always want to race. We were the only ones to set course in Fayetteville, Waterloo and Tábor," he said. "Also today was the first attack by Michael [Vanthourenhout] and I was the only one who tried to ride to Lars.”
The two ended up finishing first and second again, as Lars van der Haar punctured twice and was forced off the lead - where the duo had been chasing. “Laurens is riding fast, but not fast enough to drive us off. He's just frustrated that he hasn't won yet," the World Cup leader continued.
“Laurens now realizes how luxurious it was on our team last year, as Michael and I took the chestnuts out of the fire. It is part of it that as a leader you have to do a little more than usual," he concluded.
The two are set to go head-to-head once again today in Maasmechelen for the fourth round of the World Cup, and tensions are as high as ever as the battle for the most important competition continues.
Read also
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Pidcock finished 9th place, 29 minutes down. he is a helluva rider, so gutsy. and he is amazing at all disciplines. but this headline is . . .mij09-11-2026
- I know, watch the video. and listen to her competitors. it was a tricky tacky call at best. WTF is this guy talking about??? my original comment was from the picture it didn't look like anything.mij09-11-2026
- I dunno what you're talking about. you make no sense. MS's competitor and the competitors coach said it was BS. she didn't deviate in a way that relegation should be required. revel LOL. you're so cool, in your own mind.mij09-11-2026
- deviation lol, watch the videomij09-11-2026
- the 'No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines' comment was unfortunately a bit off. didn't you just boast about your principles in the comments section of another article?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026
Loading
First WorldCup of the season in 🇧🇪 is here!🤩 Swipe and discover our line-up and the time schedule to support our riders!💪🏼🔴 #FightToTheFinish 📸 Photopress.be
Write a comment