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Iserbyt’s World Cup victory lap is a thrilling win over Pidcock in Hoogerheide

Iserbyt wraps up first World Cup title after winning seven of fifteen rounds

January 23, 2022
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It looked like Tom Pidcock was going to sail to a win in Sunday’s final round of the World Cup after a crash held up his rivals, but Eli Iserbyt showed why he’s the 2021-2022 series titlist with a gripping win in Hoogerheide, the Netherlands. Iserbyt got revenge on Pidcock for the Rucphen round a week before the World Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Iserbyt had already wound up his first World Cup title, leading teammate Michael Vanthourenhout by 110 points going into the final round. Iserbyt had won six of the 14 rounds before Hoogerheide. Six other fellows had taken rounds as well.

The field charged up the hill after the gun and Ryan Kamp impressively snatched the hole shot. Round 2 winner Quinten Hermans was on his wheel. Round six champ Lars van der Haar then became the train’s engine. He led Hermans, Kamp and Corne van Kessel over the line to end Lap 1.

Ryan Kamp (left) had an impressive start to the race.

Van der Haar and his companions wanted to keep Pidcock and Iserbyt distanced on Lap 2. Van Kessel lost contact and Kamp had to hustle to stay with van der Haar and Hermans. Pidcock and Iserbyt were still 13 seconds in arrears.

European champion van der Haar and Hermans were hungry for their second World Cup victories of the season.

On the third of nine laps Hermans took his turn on the front. Pidcock was up to third, nine seconds back and leading a group containing van Kessel, Toon Aerts, Iserbyt and Vanthourenhout. Aerts had a painful looking biff on the barriers. Pidcock made the junction before the line.

Pidcock immediately attacked going into Lap 4. A van der Haar crash delayed everyone in the string and Pidcock was free to fly. Van Kessel had to run walk to the pits, his hopes dashed.

This van der Haar-Hermans crash on Lap 4 changed the complexion of the race.

Pidcock was far ahead of Vanthourenhout and van der Haar heading into Lap 5. Iserbyt joined the chasers but the trio wasn’t making inroads into the Brit’s gap.

On the sixth and seventh laps, the only remaining competition seemed to be for the podium, with two Pauwels Sauzen riders facing a Baloise Trek Lion. Iserbyt and Vanthourenhout dropped off van der Haar, who ricocheted off a barrier in pursuit, and then it was Vanthourenhout’s turn to get the planks wrong.

Heading into the penultimate lap, Iserbyt, now Pidcock’s lone pursuer, was only four seconds behind. The World Cup titlist made the junction. Just over the two leaders’ shoulders loomed van der Haar and Vanthourenhout. Amazingly, it all came back together.

Iserbyt clawed back Pidcock early in the penultimate lap.

Iserbyt attacked when he heard the bell, just as Aerts was approaching the quartet. Iserbyt dashed away again and Pidcock led the pursuit. This is what the edge of your seat is for. Pidcock simply couldn’t run down the Belgian in the final kilometre, and van der Haar did well to come runner-up. Iserbyt’s first overall title comes after he led the World Cup through the whole series.

2021-2022 UCI ‘cross World Cup, Round 15, Hoogerheide
1) Eli Iserbyt (Belgium/Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) 1:00:18
2) Lars van der Haar (The Netherlands/Baloise Trek Lions) +0:02
3) Tom Pidcock (Great Britain/Ineos Grenadiers) +0:03