“The cold is having more impact on her femoral artery” - After Eli Iserbyt’s forced retirement, leading Belgian CX rider abandons National Championships with similar issues

The women’s elite Belgian cyclocross championships ended early and painfully for Laura Verdonschot, who abandoned the race while riding outside the top ten, bringing her final appearance at a national championships to an abrupt close.

Verdonschot had hoped for one last strong ride on home soil in Beringen, but the race quickly slipped away from her. As the podium moved out of reach, she stepped off the bike in the cold conditions, ending what had been planned as a final Belgian championships appearance.

Team manager Tom De Kort pointed to a worrying physical issue behind the decision in quotes collected by Sporza post-race.

“We had hoped for a good day, but it’s been too up and down. In Hofstade we had hope because of her fourth place,” he said. “Now I have the feeling that the cold is having more impact on her femoral artery. This is really unfortunate for Laura, very bitter.”

De Kort’s words immediately struck a chord across the cyclocross world. Femoral artery problems have become one of the most feared medical issues in the sport, and only days earlier they had brought an entire career to an end.

Eli Iserbyt confirmed his retirement this week after receiving medical advice that he could no longer continue cycling, even recreationally. In a message shared on Instagram, the Belgian explained: “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.” He added: “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.”

Iserbyt’s decision followed a long struggle with a femoral artery problem that had already disrupted several seasons. After initially riding through the issue, he underwent surgery, returned to training, then required further operations when the problem kept coming back. Eventually he was told that continuing to race or even train seriously was no longer possible.

The injury reduced blood flow and sensation in his left leg and progressively limited his performance, until doctors advised that stopping completely was the only safe option.

Verdonschot’s situation is different, but the reference to her femoral artery immediately raised concern, especially given how quickly Iserbyt’s condition escalated from a performance issue into a career-ending diagnosis.

For Verdonschot, the timing made it even harder to take. This was meant to be her final Belgian championships, in her own province, and instead it ended with an early abandonment and unanswered medical questions.

Whether her issue proves temporary or more serious remains to be seen. What is clear is that, in a sport already shaken by Iserbyt’s retirement, any mention of femoral artery problems now carries heavy weight, and Verdonschot’s words and De Kort’s concern have added another uneasy chapter to that growing story.