“We should not think about a quick return” — Eli Iserbyt's future uncertain again after suffering a relapse

Eli Iserbyt has suffered a relapse of his injury after undergoing four surgeries earlier this year on the iliac artery in his left leg. The 28-year-old Pauwels Sauzen - Altez Industriebouw Cycling Team rider had hoped to make his comeback in a couple of weeks, but that plan has now been abandoned.

Iserbyt had been expected to reach the final stage of his long recovery period and return to competition at the Superprestige Jaarmarktcross Niel on November 11. However, those plans have now been cancelled as complications reappeared during training. In the next days, the Belgian will seek a second opinion from a specialist in Ghent.

Team manager Jurgen Mettepenningen confirmed the setback in delcarations to Nieuwsblad, describing it as a major blow after months of rehabilitation.

“Two weeks ago we still saw things positively, but the old injury has again caused problems during training,” said Mettepenningen. “The positive atmosphere of the past weeks suddenly turned into a negative one. He again experiences issues with the blood flow in his left leg. It is not optimal.”

“We will conduct new tests this week and seek a second opinion from a specialist at the university hospital in Ghent, but it is already clear that participation on November 11 is not feasible,” Mettepenningen continued. “We must now hope for later in the season, in the best case, but we have to wait for the tests. I think we should not delude ourselves. Today, we are rather pessimistic than optimistic: we should not think about a quick return.”

Mettepenningen acknowledged that the situation leaves the team facing uncertainty about Iserbyt’s future participation. When asked if he fears there may be no solution to the problem, he replied: “I think you can hear my tone: it is not a cheerful tone. Then you know it is not good news. I do not want to dramatize it yet, but we have to be realistic. Niel will not happen, but we need to see what is possible in the medium term. However, we will not see Iserbyt in the next few weeks.”

The setback also has a big psychological impact on the rider, who has spent most of the year fighting to return to his best form.

“Mentally, this is very tough for Eli, a sportsman through and through, who sees his profession, passion and life taken away although he did everything to return as soon as possible,” Mettepenningen said. “The surgeries were not really successful and now he is again held back by his injury. It is very hard for him as a person. The most important thing now is to recover, find the right level again, and only then return to racing,” he concluded.