"I'd rather not have that" - Eli Iserbyt plays down mid-race spat with teammate Michael Vanthourenhout

At the final race of the X2O Trofee campaign on Sunday afternoon in Brussels, Eli Iserbyt took a crowing triumph ahead of his Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal teammate, Michael Vanthourenhout. During the race however, it wasn't all rosy between the pair.

Caught on the broadcast of the race, Iserbyt could be heard complaining about his teammates actions during the race. Iserbyt was in the lead at the time alongside Joris Nieuwenhuis, whilst Vanthourenhout was leading the chase. “I saw that Michael was in the lead with everyone behind him. I'd rather not have that. When he came alone, it was no problem,” Iserbyt explained post-race however, keen to quieten the drama. 

The victory eventually went to Iserbyt and it was a landmark triumph too, the 50th of his professional cyclocross career. “This is very important to me,” he says. “That had to happen today, because Oostmalle suits me less well. In the beginning I had some difficulty following the pace, but then I managed to ride the slopes well and that's where I made the difference.”

“Joris was a bit at his limit and then I made the difference on the technical parts," Iserbyt concludes, detailing his race-winning attack. "I knew it had to happen in the last two laps, even though it felt difficult because it was almost over.”