Thibau Nys rejects comparisons to Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert: "it's almost impossible to compare because both are so exceptionally good"

As a highly talented cyclocross and road rider, already combining both successfully at 21 years of age, it is no surprise that Thibau Nys is compared to the likes of Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert. However, he attempts to shrug that pressure off his shoulders.

"It's easy to make the comparison because we are kind of walking the same path. On the other hand, it's almost impossible to compare because both are so exceptionally good, not only in cyclocross but also on the road. What they're doing is out of this world, so it's really dangerous to compare with those guys," Nys said in an interview with Cyclingnews. As did the other two - and a few more current day superstars, Nys has evolved in the cyclocross world, but having taken steps into road cycling it was understood that he is just as talented. 

This past season he won a stage at the Tour of Norway and the GP des Kantons Aargau, both against World Tour competition. However starting this winter in great form, he won the Waterloo World Cup and the Koppenbergcross. However he admits that upon the return of the 'big three', it's much harder to ambition a win at the start  line. 

“It will be way more difficult to win or to be on the podium, but you just change your goals from winning or a podium to maybe a top five for or to follow them for six out of eight laps or five out of eight laps. They are so much bigger than the sport. It's an honour to ride against them and I don't feel sad or shit because they start riding which drops me back in the group a little bit more," he says.

Nys will end the cyclocross season in February and then take time off. Afterwards, he will build up form and likely start his road season at the Tour de Romandie, so as to then make his Grand Tour debut at the Giro d'Italia. He's proven himself already to be a strong rider for the hilly classics, but has not proven himself in the cobbles. Can he do so in the future?

“It's 100% the type of rider I would want to become, but the question is - is it the right type of rider I will be?" he questions. "Maybe I need to go for stages in Grand Tours at the Tour de France or the Giro, I don't know. With a more hilly parcours than, for example, Flanders or Roubaix with 10-minute climbs because I don't know if I'm really the type of rider for the Classics season. Maybe the Ardennes, that's also possible."