Thibau Nys starts as the defending champion at the European Cyclo-cross Championships in Middelkerke. Once again this year, the Belgian is regarded as one of the top favorites. However, in an interview with Het Nieuwsblad, he expressed his doubts, particularly about the sandy course in the Belgian coastal town.
"Winning will definitely not be easy. I realize that I will have to be at the peak of my form to win. I’m here with the mindset I want to have. And yes, this is an important race. There are three jerseys to be won during the season. This is one of them, so this is a race where I want to show up. Every jersey carries prestige,” Nys said.
The 22-year-old rider also voiced some reservations. “There are courses that should suit me much better than this one. But it doesn’t discourage me either. I’ve had my struggles in the sand recently; it’s up to me to turn that around. In my opinion, this is also a sand race, but I’m equally convinced that I have a chance here as well. But then everything has to click.”
Nonetheless, Nys is determined to defend his title. “Not winning would be a disappointment. I can only lose, but there’s no guarantee of victory. Luckily, I have another nice jersey (Nys is also Belgian champion, editor’s note) in the wardrobe that I can wear next weekend if things go wrong on Sunday.”
Nys kicked off his cyclo-cross season last week with a win at the Koppenbergcross, but a day later he experienced a frustrating day at the Rapencross in Lokeren due to issues with his shifters, and he didn’t hide his irritation. “Nothing stuck from that. I’d have liked to see myself react differently. I went a bit overboard. I was simply frustrated, with all the consequences,” Nys said, adding that the mechanical problems seem to be resolved. “I haven’t tested them yet, but they told me it will be fine.”
