Laurens Sweeck was the big winner in Niel on Friday during the Jaarmarktcross, but you can also take your hats off to Lars van der Haar and Eli Iserbyt. Van der Haar’s shoulder dislocated during the warm-up and that happened again in the cross, but he competed for the victory until the final round. Iserbyt then had to make up again after he had to deal with a saddle fracture: he finished fourth.
Sam Varewyck and Hugo Coorevits
“It happened for the first time in the mud while warming up,” said Van der Haar about his dislocated shoulder. “Two laps before the end I had that again when I was behind Laurens Sweeck. Luckily he got back into it a little faster then. How did I solve that? I left my bike on my shoulder for a while and tried to do something like that (waves arm, ed.) and the shoulder fluttered back in. So I was able to continue.”
For Van der Haar, the dislocated shoulder is a recurring problem. “Correct. It has been going well for the last few months, but I knew that I was now very tired from the last two weeks. I already felt it coming and was paying extra attention, but yeah…” (Read more below the photo)
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In the end, the man in the Dutch jersey only had to bow to Laurens Sweeck in the final lap. “I knew he would be very good in the sandbox. I also knew not to start in the wheel on the sand strip, so I left a small gap. That was a risk, but it was the only way to win here today. And it just didn’t work out. Laurens was just really good. When he pulled away in the beginning, I had just been trapped in the sand by Michael Vanthourenhout. I wasn’t going to solve it on my own after that, but I did feel that I still had some fast laps in me. I wanted to try and drive to Laurens and I think we had a good battle after that. It just wasn’t supposed to be for me today.”
Eli Iserbyt had to deal with broken saddle: “Feeling was better after the fall”
Also Eli Iserbyt was not spared bad luck in Niel, because he fell back a long way due to a broken saddle in a fall. “I have to say that the feeling was better after my fall than before, strange but true. My saddle broke in that fall and my handlebars were crooked,” said Iserbyt, who spoke to the press with a bloody knee. “It wasn’t super far to the post, but I think I was around 15th after the substitution. I kept getting closer and closer. I’m glad I kept going, because it wasn’t an easy week. Good race, sorry about the bad luck. I think I pretty much saved my Superprestige here and a nice challenge is always great.” (Read more below the photo)
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“My feeling was not really good in the first half of the race,” the former European champion continued. “I still had some pain in my leg, it has been a bit irritated this week. But I’m relieved with the performance, it could certainly be worse than fourth. That everything has been written about me after Sunday? I’ve heard Niels Albert and he said it still means something when they talk about you. It wasn’t really fun to read, but I’ve worked hard to prove otherwise and show that I can persevere. I hope to find a little more rest after Sunday.”
Iserbyt also gave some extra explanation about the injury to his leg. “That injury was under control, but it got a bit worse in Namur. It’s been bothering me since the summer, but it got better until I made a wrong move in Namur and it got a bit irritated. I already have five wins despite always riding with a bit of trouble. I hope to be able to drive everything, because that is a matter of honor.”
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