"I'm really looking forward to seeing a race without bad luck or a bad start" - Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal boss awaits tough battle in Overijse

In the Waterloo World Cup Cross, Eli Iserbyt had to settle for second place. For several reasons, the Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal riders was no match for a very strong Thibau Nys, who was also the better of Iserbyt in Beringen. According to Jurgen Mettepenningen, team leader at Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal, Iserbyt is not someone who gives up easily...

Nys: 2/2. Iserbyt: 0/2. "Eli was good twice, but had bad luck in Beringen with a bad start and a fall and in Waterloo there was a problem with his shoe," Mettepenningen told Sporza. "So I'm really looking forward to seeing a race without bad luck or a bad start, but head-to-head. Eli is a winner and does not easily accept this. He will do everything he can to win as quickly as possible."

"I have seen two fantastic crosses. For our sport that is pure propaganda," says Mettepenningen, who draws a parallel to the dominance of Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert in recent years. "It's a relief that someone else is at the top. He is the man who needed cyclocross. I can only applaud the fact that he is competing for victories and is now also winning," he refers to the son of Sven Nys.

Cyclocross in the current way is somewhat reminiscent of the days of the past, Mettepenningen also agrees. "We can return to those times very quickly, because even without Van Aert and Van der Poel there is enough tension and spectacle. Then I also think of the team tactics with Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal and Baloise Trek Lions. In previous years you had our team, now you have two blocks. The Nys team clearly regards Thibau as the leader and rides based on him. In addition to the two blocks, add Laurens Sweeck and that only makes it more fun," he is optimistic.