During the second round of the Koppenbergcross, Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) received a beer cup thrown on his head by a spectator. Immediately identified, the man was immediately apprehended by the police and was expelled from the circuit. The Oudenaarde police issued a report “for assault and battery”.
“I was very uncomfortable for one or two laps. I got the contents of the cup in my face,” Iserbyt said. “I had to get my focus back and it took a while. There were a lot of people who enjoyed the race. It’s a shame that someone would do such a thing.”
“I’m still a little disappointed with this second place, but I think Lars van der Haar was the strongest. He launched a very good attack. I couldn’t get into his shoes. My condition is good. Maybe I need to work a little more on my acceleration in races. On this point, I am still a little short,” admitted Iserbyt.
Organizer Christophe Impens also reacted to the incident. “We always watch the television images very closely during the cross country. Especially with regard to the safety of the public and the runners. The beer thrower was clearly visible and less than three minutes after the incident he was arrested by police. Are we going to become a civil party? We will discuss it. This beer thrower must be punished. We cannot let this go. This kind of behavior must be banned,” concluded Impens.
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