First on the Koppenberg, fifteenth in Lokeren, second at the European Championships, seventh in Merksplas, and another victory Sunday in Hamme: so far, there’s no clear pattern in the results of Belgian champion Thibau Nys.
The Belgian champion had secretly hoped for a more dominant start to his cyclocross season, but according to his father and Baloise Glowi Lions team boss Sven, Thibau is too critical of himself.
Technical shortcoming?
Nys started extra fired up in Hamme on Sunday afternoon, after he struggled mainly technically in the sand the day before at the Superprestige in Merksplas. "I think he already rode a fairly good race there, only the technical cyclocross part went a bit wrong. Condition-wise, I think he has been in good shape the past weeks, but when everything is this close, it often comes down to the details. In Hamme, everything clicked again," said Sven Nys.
Still, it seems somewhat strange that Nys would let his technique fail him. For years, the young Nys has been known as a technical prodigy. "It was mainly the sand sections," Sven reassures. "We know that some days he struggles more with that than others. In Merksplas, it fell apart almost every lap. That builds up, and at some point, it also starts to affect you mentally."
Nys was back celebrating in Hamme - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
How can Thibau compensate for that? "By riding with confidence and believing in himself. Even if you don’t have a super feeling, like Saturday, you still have to believe that you can win that race. I once won thirty out of forty races I entered in one season. In how many of those did I truly have a super feeling, do you think? At most three or four. In all the others, I won based on experience, cyclocross technique, and the ability to read my opponents well."
"What I want to say is: you don’t have a super feeling very often in a year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t win those other races. I’m proud that Thibau showed that on Sunday. There was no sandpit on the course in Hamme, and he simply rode a strong race and a good finale. We do know that sand is his weakest point in cyclocross, and we will keep working hard on that. There is definitely still room for improvement, but it’s not dramatic."
Critical Nys
The younger Nys will dare to challenge that last point. After every race, he comes across as quite self-critical. "That’s typical Thibau," says his father Sven. "He always tries to analyze his races thoroughly. Dominating cyclocross races is not easy and doesn’t just happen on command. But there are also certain circumstances that explain why it sometimes goes a little less well."
"Last week, for example, he trained quite a lot to build a broad base for the road season. He absolutely didn’t shy away from doing many kilometers. Of course, that has a downside as well. If you train so much during the week, it inevitably costs you some freshness as a rider. Next week there will be more room for rest, so I expect a lot from the race in Tabor. That’s a course that suits him well."
Father and son Nys together - photo: Cor Vos
Is the young Nys then too hard on himself? "He’s very hard on himself. But that’s allowed. Thibau is a true winner. If he spends a few hours thinking about his race and feels disappointed, that’s actually a good thing. It means he wants to improve and address his weaknesses. That’s how you become a better rider. I mainly see the positive in that."
Perspective
Yet father Nys wants to emphasize that despite the high expectations from the outside world and Thibau himself, he’s far from doing badly. "I think Thibau has become more consistent. Apart from the occasional off day, and the equipment that wasn’t ideal in Lokeren, he’s contending for the podium every weekend. At the European Championships and in Merksplas, he also battled for the top spots right until the final."
"He’s now checked off Hamme and the Koppenberg, so we really have no reason to complain," concludes Nys. "The foundation is definitely there with Thibau. And if he can win a race even without a super feeling, that offers a lot of promise for the rest of the season."
