Eli Iserbyt has had trouble last week at the European Championships and has since been in doubt as to whether he's at his best level or not. Yesterday's race in Beekse Bergen was an opportunity to regain the confidence, but it was a very unusual race for the World Cup leader.
”I had some trouble getting into the rhythm because I was having trouble again. It was a long race for me," Iserbyt told Sporza after the 5th round of the World Cup. "I had a bad start and clicked out of my pedal. And in the forest it was very difficult to gain positions.”
The race was very dry and fast with it being very difficult to create gaps. Iserbyt rode in the middle of the chasing group throughout the race as 4 riders went clear, and towards the second half he began a chase himself, which would eventually see him just barely managing to bridge across to the leading group.
"In the end I can be happy with my performance, but the result remains a shame," he said. He arrived at the head of the race without the legs to keep the rhythm, and ended up riding into 5th, whilst his main rival Laurens Sweeck took the win and significantly shortened the points gap which is now of a mere 4 points after 5 races.
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“I remain the leader, but it doesn't matter much anymore (the points difference, ed.). With nine races to go, it will be exciting," he said. With two consecutive World Cup wins Laurens Sweeck is now a very real threat to the Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal's lead. Next weekend the riders will take on another round in Overijse.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- This is a phenomenal course design. I do wish that they'd stretch these tours for the women to at least 2 weeks.RidesHills03-11-2026
- This is an amazing route, honestly. Let's hope that it attracts riders to make it a compelling and competitive race. Side bar amusement: going to Slovenia and passing pretty close to Pogačar's house. I wonder if they were tempting him to get all 3 jerseys at once after winning the Tour and Vuelta. After all, only a very few have ever had all three at the same time (Froome being the last).RidesHills03-11-2026
- He was a child two years ago
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - A great route aswell. Col d'Arpy is a toughieRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- Let Torito have a shot at itRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- A great route, much more exciting than the Tour de France. Monte Livata is an interesting one, because they experimented with it at the 2026 Baby Giro, and it was fantastic. 4 km at 10%, then 10 km at 6.5% made for a great spectacle. The stage 16 is horrible. Montaner is also used in the U23s, in Giro del BelvedereRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- I remember when Mark went through that. He was really experiencing lows and thought about quiting many times. It took him a long time to recover. I, like many others were overjoyed when he came back. I hope Lafay has been tested. I wish him the best.Paggss03-11-2026
- That sucks for him. I've always wondered what guys like him do after retiring from cycling - go back to uni? He's still a very young manCrashjames03-11-2026
- Good Point, I wonder if he's been testedmhfrvz03-11-2026
- A busy boy!Lozza03-11-2026
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Eli remains leader in the World Cup standings!🤘🏼🔴 Michael finishes 3️⃣rd on the podium after a strong race. Eli came in 5️⃣th at Beekse Bergen! Our other riders also managed to put in great performances: 8️⃣ Ryan 1️⃣4️⃣ Witse 3️⃣1️⃣ Lorenzo 📸 Photopress.be
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