Cyclocross season has been dealt a blow with the tragic news that Eli Iserbyt's career has been cut short due to an untreatable iliac artery injury. The sport may also lose Mathieu van der Poel if he wins his eighth world title in Hulst, according to Johan Bruyneel. Bruyneel believes that the crashes and risks Wout van Aert takes in the discipline may also lead him to make the decision to retire. At the time of writing, van Aert is still off the bike, eight days after his season-ending crash at the Exact Cross Mol. The Belgian had started the snowy race strongly and had caught up with Mathieu van der Poel after his initial attack, setting up a thrilling duel between the two. However, the race ended abruptly when van Aert slid out in a corner and crashed. Bruyneel said, 'It seemed like he was on par with Mathieu van der Poel. If you look at the last two or three years, it's been a while since that happened. Van der Poel normally has the advantage, but this is what we all wanted. Now we'll never know.' Wout van Aert's crash at the 2026 Exact Cross Mol led to an ankle fracture, ruling him out for weeks and ending his cyclocross season. This setback compromises his entire preparation for the spring classics, his absolute goal. Bruyneel acknowledges that van Aert will miss the classics, but questions his form. He says, 'Three months is very realistic. It's not a serious fracture. But it's a huge setback for the classics, if he can even make it. But his preparation has been compromised.' Van Aert's confidence has also been affected by his struggles with position in the increasingly dangerous peloton since his 2024 Dwars door Vlaanderen crash. This fall will only continue the set of obstacles he has been tackling. In 2024, van Aert suffered a fall at the Belgian classic and then again at the Vuelta a España, derailing his year. In 2025, he fell ill before the Giro d'Italia but managed a somewhat regular season. Now, back on the sidelines, van Aert provides another opportunity for Mathieu van der Poel to grow the gap between the two through more training and better health. Bruyneel says, 'It's definitely not good. It's a major setback: he seems doomed. Just when he seems to be closing in on Van der Poel... I feel for him enormously; it's insane.' Bruyneel believes that van Aert may stop racing cyclocross, citing the toll it takes on his body and the risks involved. He says, 'I can see him saying 'you know what, this is it. I'll limit the risks.' But usually, crashes in cyclocross aren't too serious. They happen a lot, but at low speed and not on asphalt.' However, Bruyneel doesn't have much confidence in that, arguing that both van der Poel and van Aert love the discipline and may not want to leave it if it's their choice. He says, 'If you look at Van der Poel and Van Aert, you see they do this because they love it. They love the sport, the atmosphere, and the fans. They don't do it for the money, even if they get paid a pretty penny. But it's nothing compared to their other contracts. They simply love cyclocross.'
