“More than angry, I’m mostly disappointed... A symbolic slap on the wrist?" - Eli Iserbyt fumes as 'fan' who threw beer on him at Koppenbergcross is let off with a warning

Sadly, there seems to be no hotter topic in the cycling world at the moment than the crowd troubles that continue to plague big events. The issue of Mathieu van der Poel are most prominent at the minute, but the Dutchman is far from alone in his plight. During last winter's cyclocross season, Eli Iserbyt was a target too, and the former Belgian national champion has been left furious by a lack of repercussions for his attacker.

On November 1st 2024, on lap 2 of the Koppenbergcross, as Iserbyt and teammate Michael Vanthourenhout looked to put the pressure on at the front of the race, a supporter at the side of the course vented his frustrations at the often divisive Iserbyt, throwing a drink over the Pauwels Sauzen - Cibel Clementines star. A few moments later, TV cameras spotted the fan in question being escorted away from the race by security.

As mentioned though, now six months later, this seems to have been the only punishment brought against the culprit who has been let off with a mere warning. This is something that, in the opinion of Iserbyt, is an embarrassing response by those in charge.

“More than angry, I’m mostly disappointed. First off, in how it was handled - we only found out the case had apparently been closed through back channels. No one told us directly. Our lawyer had to follow up himself. That already feels wrong," begins a fuming Iserbyt in conversation with Het Nieuwsblad. "And then the contents of the statement: just two dry sentences. The facts were proven, but they’re leaving it at a warning. That feels incredibly weak. Honestly, it’s not acceptable.”

“I don’t need money from the guy who threw the beer, but a clear signal - a hefty fine - would’ve been the least you’d expect. If only to deter others. But a warning? A symbolic slap on the wrist? Who’s going to lose sleep over that?" he asks rhetorically. "What bothers me even more is how little attention is paid in this whole discussion to how vulnerable riders are in these situations. Sure, it was ‘just’ beer, but every time I rode past that section during the Koppenbergcross, I was thinking, ‘What’s it going to be this time?’”

“It weighs on you mentally. It completely throws you off your focus - even afterwards. At every race after that, part of you is still worried. And as a rider, you don’t really have a choice - you’re in the middle of the race, you’re trying to reach the finish. You can’t defend yourself and you’re completely powerless. That’s the worst part of it all," Iserbyt concludes, referencing the similar troubles that Mathieu van der Poel has gone through recently. "You can be sure it’s no different for Mathieu. I was stunned when I saw what happened to him (Van der Poel had a full bottle thrown directly into his face at Paris-Roubaix 2025 ed.). What he experienced on Sunday will stick with him, no doubt. Don’t underestimate that. As a rider, you’re incredibly exposed."