"He's just frustrated that he hasn't won yet" - Iserbyt responds to Sweeck's accusations

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.

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.