FAYETTEVILLE -- It was business as usual for UCI World Cup leaders Eli Iserbyt and Fem van Empel as they both took home thrilling sprint victories in the second race of the series Sunday in Fayetteville's Centennial Park.
Iserbyt came around Laurens Sweeck on the finish straight to come away with the sprint victory in the elite men's race.
"I had to really dig really deep," the Belgian Iserbyt said. "I knew that the sprint was a headwind, so I had to be in second position. And I think that was my only chance to win. So for me, it was the perfect sprint."
Van Empel, of the Netherlands, held off former world champion and last year's UCI World Cup Fayetteville winner Lucinda Brand on the last lap to take the victory in the women's race.
Iserbyt and Van Empel each won their respective races in the opening round of the World Cup last weekend in Waterloo, Wis.
A large group at the front was splintered when Iserbyt made a move. Teammate Michael Vanthourenhout knew Sweeck was having a strong ride and tried to bridge to Iserbyt to get away. Vanthourenhout couldn't change Sweeck and the three eventually came together and held on to the front of the race to the finish.
"It was really important to be on the front," Iserbyt said. "We're always very attentive racing at the front end. We knew it was us against the rest. So we really had to, I think, make the difference in the race. And only Laurens could follow us. So then he did a very, very strong race as well. And he pushes really hard."
Iserbyt said making a solo move was hard to do on the Fayetteville course.
"It's a really hard course to make a big difference," Iserbyt said. "Because there are long straights, and there was a lot of wind today. I think that it was an interesting race for the riders and for the spectators as well."
American Eric Brunner finished fourth, his best World Cup finish. With two laps to go he made a big push to try and attach to the front group of three, but could never close the gap.
The World Cup schedule shifts back to Europe beginning with next week's race in Tabor, Czech Republic, after two weekends in the U.S.
"I never expected to be in the World Cup lead before I came to the US and it's very nice to come to the U.S. and then go home with two victories," Van Empel said. "I worked very hard the last few months. So, yeah, maybe I should have expected it. But you never know how well the others have prepared."
Five Dutch riders came across the finish line with one lap to go together: Brand, van Empel, Annemarie Worst, Denise Betsema and Inge van der Heijden. Van Empel attacked the group at the top of the climb, but only van der Heijden was dropped. Betsema was doomed when she dropped her chain, leaving only van Empel, Brand and Worst to contest the sprint.
Brand, last year's World Cup champion, came around the final corner in the lead, but van Empel was able to come around on her left for the victory.
"This is a really fast course," Brand said. "But I thought it was a good race. It's a good start [to the season]. We can work from here and we're in the mix. So that's good. And I'm happy."