"Hopefully, I can also make things difficult for Mathieu" - Eli Iserbyt says he may be in the form of his life, seals Superprestige win

Eli Iserbyt is having quite the season. He's confirmed the victory in the Superprestige Cup last night in Diegem, whilst also battling Tom Pidcock for second place with another strong performance.

"Hopefully, I can also make things difficult for Mathieu. That would be very nice for the viewers too. But if that really happens, it will be more because of Mathieu himself, if he holds back a bit," Iserbyt said in a post-race interview. "Every race is important, but this race in Diegem really stands out at the moment. I know what I have to do. I have the luxury of being a few points ahead, but I also just want to compete for the podium again here."

Iserbyt said, before the return of the World Champion, that there would be little purpose to try and follow his attacks, but that instead he'd do his own race. However he's frequently been the one trying to match the Dutchman the closest. With the Superprestige under his belt yesterday as long as he performed, he was quick to react when van der Poel attacked, but there was no matching him. However, he worked together with Tom Pidcock to distance the rest of the field.

"I surprised myself again. I may just be in the best form of my life. For me, that doesn't matter (the labels 'big three', ed.). Three, four or five. It doesn't necessarily have to be labeled. It's something that mainly lives among the press. I just do what I can with my legs." Iserbyt is also having a commanding lead in the World Cup, whilst he follows Lars van der Haar in a close second place in the X2O Trofee Badkamers.

On the fight with Pidcock last night, he was close to finishing second. It was a final corner divebomb that gave the Briton the upper hand into the sprint - which he then won. "In the last corner, I actually let myself be outsmarted. I did not expect that maneuver anymore. Tom was a few meters back, but he was cunning enough to come through the inside of the corner."

However he does not criticize the move, calling it fair game in a discipline where there is at times a lot of contact. "It was just within the limits, so hats off to him. The third place is somewhat disappointing, but for me, the second or third place does not matter much, the most important thing was the classification."