Thibau Nys could not confirm his victory in the Koppenbergcross the very next day at the Rapencross. After multiple instances of bad luck, the Belgian cyclocross rider completely fell out of contention in the race, but there is no reason for panic at all with Nys. "My legs just felt really good today, it was just that third mishap that was the last straw. You can’t close that gap then," said the Belgian.
Mechanical issues, problems with the shifters, and finally a few crashes. No, it was not Thibau Nys’s day in Lokeren. On TV, we saw an angry Nys who clearly was losing focus in the last laps.
How did he view it himself? "I missed my start a bit, but I didn’t panic and was able to move up nicely. The pace was high enough for me, but after the first bike change, I noticed my shifters were just hanging down to the bottom of the bar. Then you can’t properly tackle corners anymore. Then I switched back to a bike I knew had a crooked handlebar... I switched again, and then my saddle dropped. Yeah, it’s just a combination of circumstances you can’t do anything about."
"After the first time, I tried to fight back, and also after the second time, but the third time was just the last straw. You just can’t close the gap anymore. The deficit was too big. Yeah, it’s a shame, because I noticed in the first half of the race that I was really strong. I was also cutting down some seconds from my deficit steadily. Yeah, it’s a shame, right?"
With the European Championships in Middelkerke coming up—where Nys hopes to defend his European title—there are no concerns. "We just need to stay sharp next week and make sure everything is right. The legs were at least where they needed to be. I have confidence in my form and my abilities and just need a bit of luck on my side. I am confident," he concludes.
😳 What a scene Thibau Nys made with his bikes at the #X2OBadkamersTrofee in Lokeren!
He receives a bike in the pits that he’s not happy with; he yells his complaints; they give him a third one, and he stops dead to adjust the levers, throwing the race away! 💥#ciclocross | #LaCasaDelCiclismo pic.twitter.com/nj1bFAgejV
— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) November 2, 2025
