Eli Iserbito, diagnosed with sciatica, cleared to compete in cyclocross

Cyclo-cross
Eli Iserbito, diagnosed with sciatica, cleared to compete in cyclocross

Eli Iserbito has been cleared to compete in Friday's Neel Superprestige and Sunday's Beekse Bergen World Cup after an MRI scan confirmed that it was sciatica in his back and not a serious, season- or career-ending problem.

Yzerbito was dominant in the early part of the cyclocross season with five wins and four podiums, but he had to withdraw from the European Championships in Namur last week due to numbness in his legs. He has won in Waterloo, Fayetteville, and Tabor and is now at the top of the men's World Cup standings.

Iserbitt has been complaining of back pain since the beginning of the season and is currently diagnosed with sciatica due to a compressed disc in his lower back.

"I love racing cross and I want to run a lot if I can. So I'm happy to be able to continue doing that," Iserbitt said in a statement released by his Pauwels Sausen Bingor team.

"A fall or an unexpected movement can cause a temporary relapse, but it can't make the injury worse. That was the case on Sunday in Namur.

"Since my first 'cross race in Kluibeke, I have often suffered from nerve pain. Now it is time to pay more attention to this problem."

Iserbito added that he is working on his problem with a physical therapist and a massage therapist, doing a lot of exercises. He said he will have to continue to work on it more.

"I was already working hard: I visit my physical therapist a couple of times a week, I spend a lot of time on my back exercises, and I hire a masseuse for every cross race to relax the muscles in my left leg right before the start.

"From now on, I plan to spend even more time doing the necessary back exercises and visit my physical therapist even more often."

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