A conspicuous absence in cyclocross this season has been Eli Iserbyt, the Belgian Pauwels Sauzen rider who twice won the World Cup and Superprestige series and claimed the DVV/X2O Badkamers Trofee title four times. Having undergone surgery both last February and in the autumn to correct blood-flow restriction in the iliac artery, Iserbyt announced his immediate retirement on Thursday.
On Instagram the 28-year-old wrote, “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. And 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.”
🇧🇪 Eli Iserbyt (28) has announced the end of his cycling career on Instagram. “Unfortunately it’s no longer possible for me to continue my career.”
📹 Instagram: iserbyteli pic.twitter.com/k42679gLtw
— Cyclocross24.com (@cyclocross24) January 8, 2026
Although not at the top of his game because of the blow-flow problems in his left leg, last season Iserbyt triumphed in four races–his final victory at the GP Sven Nys–and won the X2O Badkamers Trofee. He was also fourth in the Superprestige and fifth in the World Cup.
Iserbyt’s last professional win at the GP Sven Nys in Ball.
Iserbyt’s career was not without incident. In 2022, he threw a sharp elbow at Corne van Kessel. In 2023, he had to avoid a goose hazard to win the Flamanville World Cup. At an Exact Cross round in 2024, he was disqualified for stomping on Ryan Kamp’s wheel after the two crashed. The UCI also suspended him for three races for the incident. Not long after that, Iserbyt proved that Mathieu van der Poel isn’t the only rider who spectators mess with when someone flung a beer at him in the opening round of the 2024-2025 Superprestige series.