Thibau Nys's world cup ambitions grow, Koksijde added to the schedule

Thibau Nys has added the World Cup race in Koksijde on Sunday, December 21, to his schedule 'last minute'. This was confirmed by his team, Baloise Glowi Lions, to our editorial staff.

Originally, Nys had not planned to compete in the sandy race through the West Flemish dunes, where the young cyclocross rider often does not have his best day. Last year, he withdrew at the last moment due to illness, the year before he had his toughest day of the season in Koksijde and finished 20th. The year before that, Nys finished 25th on the sand, making it gradually somewhat of his Achilles' heel.

When planning his season, Nys did not take the various classifications into much account. But now that he has a comfortable lead in the World Cup standings after four races, Nys and his entourage have decided to start in Koksijde after all. With this change, all remaining World Cup races this season are now on his schedule.

It will be a very busy weekend for Nys, as with the World Cup in Antwerp (December 20), the X2O Trophy in Hofstade (December 22), and the Superprestige in Heusden-Zolder (December 23), four races await him in a row. It is not yet known whether the choice to compete in Koksijde will come at the expense of another cyclocross race for the young Nys.

Nys’s closest World Cup challenger at the moment is Michael Vanthourenhout, trailing by 17 points compared to Nys’s total of 110 points. But the rider from Baal will mainly fear Mathieu van der Poel, who is expected to compete everywhere except Dendermonde. Van der Poel has only scored 40 points so far after his win in Namur but still has plenty of points to gain.