Thibau Nys Beats Emiel Verstrynge in Nail-Biter to Win Belgian Cyclocross Title

Initially, Vanthourenhout took the initiative on this lap, but when Nys took the lead again, it was all systems go. The rider from Baloise Insurance-Het Poetsbureau Lions broke away together with Vanthourenhout. At the line, they had a seven-second gap over Niels Vandeputte, the first chaser. Toon Aerts and Emiel Verstrynge followed twelve seconds behind. The rest fell back even further.

Nys goes solo, Verstrynge comes very close
Nys hadn’t yet burned all his matches early on. In the third lap, he left Vanthourenhout behind as well. Once solo, he kept pushing. After four of the seven laps, Nys held a sixteen-second lead over Vanthourenhout and Verstrynge, who had joined forces. The chasing duo, however, still held on to hope—especially when Nys slipped, entering the pit area and losing several seconds. Because Vanthourenhout also slipped, Verstrynge emerged as the closest threat.

After five laps, Nys’s margin had dropped to four seconds. It seemed Verstrynge was about to close the gap, but in the penultimate lap the gap widened again. At the ringing of the bell, the difference was back to ten seconds.

Race over? Not at all, as Verstrynge kept fighting hard. He closed in more and more on Nys, setting up an incredibly tense final minute. In that last stretch, Nys narrowly held off his pursuer. That’s how he took his second consecutive Belgian cyclocross title. Verstrynge finished second, while Michael Vanthourenhout claimed the bronze.