Iserbyt "was the best man in the race", Lars van der Haar had to settle for second in Tabor World Cup

Lars van der Haar had been victorious in Tabor last season, and this Sunday he looked to strike again in a course that clearly suited his abilities. The Dutchman raced to second place, the best result possible taking into consideration the current dominance of Eli Iserbyt.

“I quickly felt that the four of us stood out. I was not afraid of the pursuers," van der Haar said after the flurry of attacks from Iserbyt and teammate Michael Vanthourenhout split the race halfway through. The group of five - Quinten Hermans included - saw van der Haar always riding conservatively, a strategy that has had it's results towards the final laps. However when Eli Iserbyt attacked no-one could respond.

“I finally waited for the last laps, but stayed a little too long. After that I still went for it, but I couldn't bridge the gap anymore," he continued. Van der Haar dropped Laurens Sweeck and Michael Vanthourenhout and took a comfortable second place, however was unable to catch up with the Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal rider.

"I have to congratulate Eli, he has a well deserved victory here. He was the best man in the race," van der Haar concluded. After not participating in Fayetteville he's made it clear that the World Cup is not his goal, and was hinting at a win in Tabor - but most importantly, the upcoming European Championships. Baloise - Trek Lions did not experience a good weekend as on the women's side, Lucinda Brand suffered a hand fracture and will be out of competition for undetermined time.