At the Citadelcross in Namur, Thibau Nys came close to the impossible, but a small mistake meant that seven-time world champion Mathieu van der Poel took the victory once again. It has been a long time since we saw someone threaten Van der Poel so deeply in the finale. Does this open up prospects for the upcoming cyclocross races in the next weeks? We asked Sven Nys, father and team manager of the Belgian champion.
"For a moment it looked like it was going to be a battle right up to the finish, but Thibau can’t be blamed for anything," he said after a debrief with Thibau. "He made a small mistake in a corner. That can happen, it's also part of cyclocross. But that forced him to do something that’s no longer achievable in such a finale. It would already have been impressive if he had just been able to follow. That was what we were hoping for."
How do you explain that the level differences are so close?
"Because the race goes uphill. That really favors Thibau. Weight plays a big role there. That has become his trademark in recent years. You also see it on the road. In dry conditions, that really comes into its own. That's why his chances here are much greater than in other cyclocross races. There the differences are bigger, but we shouldn't think about that yet. This was a chance, it just didn’t work out."
Do you agree with Lars van der Haar, who says this was the exception during the Christmas period and probably the biggest, if not the only, chance for Thibau to beat Van der Poel?
"The courses coming up in the next weeks simply suit Mathieu much better. Think of Antwerp, Koksijde, or Hofstade. That’s tailor-made for Mathieu. Beating him there, in the sand… that’s definitely not Thibau’s specialty. If we want to get closer again, it will be in Gavere or Baal. Those are races where it could still happen, although it depends on the conditions."
What does it say that not only Thibau but also Lars van der Haar and Michael Vanthourenhout could compete for the win up to the final lap?
"When Mathieu really pushed hard, Thibau was the only one who could follow. But if they don’t lose each other, the race slows down a bit and those other two come back into contention. Then you get a kind of yo-yo effect. That ensures that Lars and Michael, who are riding very strong races, are right there in the finale to fight for that podium. I think two stood out, but it was very close. By the way, Lars and Michael are always strong here."
How will Thibau approach the rest of the Christmas period? Will he keep competing for wins every week?
"That really depends on the course. I think Thibau will maintain consistency, as long as he stays healthy. He came back from training camp very well. But delivering this level every week? I don’t think so. There are opportunities though. For example, Diegem is a race that really suits him. We are also working towards the Belgian Championship in Beringen."
"On the other hand, we’re still dealing with a Christmas period that remains way too busy, so we have to skip some races now and then. Which is a shame, but those are decisions we’ll have to finalize in the coming days."
The last weeks Thibau was already able to dominate, but are we only now really seeing how good he has become after his battle with Mathieu?
"He has matured now. Not just the way he races, but also how he positions himself and handles the pressure. He had never been able to do that in Namur before. Thibau is also leading the World Cup. His consistency is much greater than in previous years. Every year he adds a bit more progress. I can only go home very satisfied. It’s a process you’re in and it’s nice to follow."
