Belgian cyclocross star Eli Iserbyt has been forced to postpone his planned comeback after suffering a relapse of his long-standing groin and arterial injury. The 28-year-old Pauwels Sauzen–Altez Industriebouw rider was expected to return to competition at the Niel Jaarmarktcross on 11 November, but persistent pain has forced a halt to his recovery, with his team now warning that his season could already be over before it even begins.
Team manager Jurgen Mettepenningen delivered the sobering update during the Rapencross in Lokeren, confirming that Iserbyt will undergo further medical testing and a second opinion at UZ Gent in the coming days. “The pain has returned in his left leg,” Mettepenningen said. “There’s a problem with blood flow again, and there might be another narrowing of the femoral artery. We were hoping that chapter was behind us, but unfortunately, the ordeal isn’t over yet.”
The setback comes after a turbulent two years for Iserbyt, who has undergone four surgeries since the start of 2024 to address recurring circulation problems and a compressed nerve in his hip, linked to Piriformis syndrome. Earlier this year, he shared images from hospital beds, hopeful that the final operation would allow him to resume racing pain-free. But progress has once again stalled.
Photo Credit: Getty“We were following a steady plan and things looked good until two weeks ago,” Mettepenningen explained. “Then, during training, he had a setback and it became clear that the injury hasn’t healed as it should. We’re basically back to square one. The reality is that Niel is impossible, and to be honest, we shouldn’t even be thinking about a comeback in the next few weeks.”
The situation raises difficult questions about whether Iserbyt will race at all this winter. “Everything is possible, including the possibility that this is the end of his season,” Mettepenningen admitted. “But I’m not a doctor – we’ll have to wait for the test results before we can make any decisions.”
Beyond the physical toll, the psychological impact has been severe. “This is extremely hard for Eli,” Mettepenningen said. “Cyclocross is his job, his hobby, his life. He’s a pure athlete, but he hasn’t been able to do his job properly for almost two years. That eats away at him. Mentally, it’s very heavy.”
The Pauwels Sauzen–Altez Industriebouw rider, once one of Belgium’s brightest cyclocross prospects, has struggled to stay healthy since late 2023. At his best, Iserbyt was a serial World Cup winner and one of the few riders consistently capable of challenging Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel on technical, muddy courses.
Now, his team’s priority is no longer racing but recovery. “We need to get him healthy again, first as a person and then as an athlete,” said Mettepenningen. “The question now is how much Eli can still endure, both physically and mentally. This is a very tough time for all of us.”
