Precisely on the Koppenberg, where two years ago he claimed one of his first major victories and where his father Sven holds the record with nine wins, Thibau Nys kicks off his cyclocross season on Saturday. And, as always, the 22-year-old European champion does so with a hefty dose of ambition.
It says a lot that last weekend, at the Druivencross in Overijse, Nys’s comeback was already one of the main talking points. The young rider had already instilled quite some fear in the competition by sharing a video of one of his final cyclocross training sessions in Langdorp. Rival teams can sense what’s coming, as Nys was very dominant at times last winter.
With the European and Belgian titles, he secured two of the most important targets of the winter, and at the World Championships, he took bronze behind Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert. Now, after an extensive road season capped by finishing the Tour de France, Nys should be even stronger.
"The benefits of the Tour de France won’t be visible just yet," his father Sven Nys, team manager of Baloise Glowi Lions, tells our camera. "It won’t be about flashes of extra speed. I think it will show more in added stability. Completing the Tour de France the way he did will pay off anyway. That has been the case for everyone, but Thibau still had a bit of surplus and the feeling that he wasn’t completely drained."
Has Thibau Nys come out stronger from his road campaign? - photo: Cor Vos
How strong can we expect Nys to be at his first races? "I assume that he will already be ready to fight next weekend," says Sven. "Thibau is someone who dares to race aggressively, and that will give the whole team a boost. He really wanted to be at the Koppenberg and we have built well and worked towards this period."
"Every day is important now. That has to do with being ambitious in two different disciplines. You have to make choices. Of course, the Koppenberg is early, but I think it’s doable."
The end of his road season came a bit earlier than expected because Nys was too fatigued and therefore had to skip the Canadian races. By his own account, he pulled the alarm just in time to avoid completely draining himself.. "Afterwards, he stayed off the bike entirely for two weeks," says father Sven. "He was able to do the things all young guys his age would do: meet up with friends, go out for a meal, pursue other hobbies. He just unplugged for a bit."
"That’s not only physically very important after such a tough summer but also mentally. After those two weeks of rest, you could see the hunger and motivation to dive back in and try to be dominant in this discipline too. I’ve seen that grow week by week, leading up to the Koppenbergcross. I am convinced he will be good right away."
Will we see this image more often? - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
This also reflects in concrete goals. Nys wants to win even more than last year. In an interview, he even revealed that he would rather win ten times than take two titles. "Let’s start at the beginning and try to perform well in those first races," Sven moderates. "He will need to build confidence from that heading into upcoming events."
"Extending a title like the European Championship won’t be easy because the course does not exactly suit him perfectly. But with good form, you can always do a little extra. And we will see if that form is good enough."
For Sven, having Nys back is welcomed. Although Lucinda Brand started strong in the women’s races, Baloise Glowi Lions have yet to claim a win in the men’s category. "We are growing. We’ve been regularly on the podium in recent weeks. With Pim Ronhaar, we have someone racing for victory, and Lars van der Haar is improving. We have confidence, but sometimes I’m also satisfied with second place. Things look good for the coming weeks," concludes the team manager.
Thibau Nys
