"I knew that Eli Iserbyt was holding back yesterday" - Pim Ronhaar sees rival battle back from behind to take victory in Flamanville

Although he held the lead for much of the race, Pim Ronhaar was forced to settle for third at the latest round of UCI World Cup action in Flamanville.

"I didn't feel very good, but my basic pace was very high," reflected Ronhaar post-race. "I turned very fast laps and pushed from the start, but had little power and a lot of problems with my back. I knew that Eli Iserbyt was holding back yesterday and when he sprinted to my wheel after three laps, I could already see the mood brewing."

Iserbyt was eventually victorious, with Ronhaar's teammate, Lars van der Haar winning the battle for second. "At the end I really didn't feel good and that passage there was also tricky, but in the end Iserbyt was simply stronger," he assesses. "Afterwards I am still happy to be on the podium and I surprised myself because of it."

One moment of note was when a couple of rogue ducks infiltrated the course, forcing Ronhaar and his rivals to take evasive action. "They were more like dying swans. Huey, Dewey and Louie suddenly stood there in front of me and Huey was lucky I didn't hit him," Ronhaar laughs. "They must have had a nice cross too."