"That one duck was lucky" - Victorious Eli Iserbyt survives close call to stay upright and take win in Flamanville

Eli Iserbyt held off the three-on-one challenge of Baloise - Trek Lions in Flamanville on Sunday afternoon to take his second UCI World Cup win of the season.

"I felt very good, but I had a very bad start," Iserbyt reflected in his post-race interview. "Then I had to roll up the entire field to get to the front and I grew into the race. Initially I stuck around and Joris Nieuwenhuis and Lars van der Haar did their thing, but it was thanks to them that I was able to drive to Pim Ronhaar. In the end, I went over and over again and was able to cash in on my better lines in the woods and on the pontoon."

Iserbyt's hopes of victory however, were nearly brought to a premature halt by a couple of rogue ducks who'd flown to the course. "That one duck was lucky that I was on the right track," Iserbyt recalls with a smile. "Otherwise I would have driven straight into it."

Now the overall leader of both the UCI World Cup and Superprestige standings, Iserbyt has had a brilliant start to the season. "Those are important points indeed and it was also important to win in the World Cup jersey, as that comes with a certain pressure. Now I have another nice photo to hang above my bed or to throw online," he concludes.