OFFICIAL | Eli Iserbyt retires from professional cycling at age 28

Eli Iserbyt is retiring from professional cycling. In a message shared on Instagram this Thursday afternoon, the cyclocross rider has confirmed that he is ending his career under medical advice that has been given to him, thus putting a final point in what is one of the most successful careers in modern cyclocross.

"The past few weeks I have received the news from multiple doctors that it's no longer medically advisable for me to ride my bike, recreationally or at a high level," the Belgian shared. He confirmed what had been feared for months: "And I've always shared the beautiful moments with you but now I wanted to share the bad ones, that unfortunately it is no longer possible for me to continue my career."

This is because Iserbyt, last winter, began suffering from an issue with a femoral artery, an injury that is becoming more and more common within professional riders. The Belgian rider had already suffered from it last year, but nevertheless completed the season, riding to victory at the X2O Badkamers Trofee. However after the season, he decided to undergo surgery to try and fix the issue.

But the path wasn't as smooth as hoped for, and in fact, it only showed that it was not possible to continue competing at the level he had hoped for. Iserbyt underwent a first surgery in February, and when he resumed training in May he began suffering from it once again, forcing him to undergo a second surgery. Right before the start of the winter this was necessary once more, and not only was his 2025-2026 delayed, but then outright cancelled. He was now told that he could not continue competing or spending time on the bike. The injury led him to have less blood flow and sensation on his left leg, which caused a multitude of issues and hampered his performances.

Iserbyt was still potentially yet to hit the prime of his career, but lived a fulfilling one in which he conquered the World Cup on two occasions, the Superprestige on two occasions and the X2O Badkamers Trofee a total of four times. He had 54 pro wins which also included an European title in 2024 and a Belgian national championship victory in 2024.