"Can I do something for him and do I want to do something for him?" - Thibau Nys speaks out on Wout van Aert's CX World Championship presence

This weekend, Lievin, France holds the 2025 Cyclocross World Championships. In the men's race, much of the hype is surrounding Mathieu van der Poel's dual with Wout van Aert, but the latter isn't the only potential contender in the Belgian squad. After shaking off a recent illness, Thibau Nys is ready to make a mark in the fight for the Rainbow Jersey.

"I feel healthy, I feel almost ready to ride a World Championship. I don’t know how that will translate into the race, but I think I did what I could do, given the past two weeks. I hope that’s enough,” assesses Nys in quotes collected by Wielerflits from a media press conference. “I don’t think there are any germs left in my body. The disease never really broke through. But it just cost me a lot of energy. Energy that was needed the past two weeks. It certainly wasn't ideal, but we made the best of it. I'm certainly not sick. It never bothered my airways or anything. I didn't have a fever, no flu. But it did cost me strength and important training sessions that I couldn't complete."

Given his recent battles with illness, Nys' form is somewhat uncertain. Nevertheless, having already taken the European title and the Belgian title this weekend, the Baloise Glowi Lions rider is likely to be in the mix. "I think I can and should turn that switch within two days. That still needs to grow, but maybe that will happen tomorrow on the course, when we let the engine run a bit. I'm not going to expect too much. I just hope for a good cross. It would be a shame if I can't finish at a high level," he previews. “It is and remains a World Championships. You just have to perform there. For myself, for the selection, for the country. That's what I want to do.”

As mentioned though, Nys won't be the leading star of the Belgian team after the last minute announcement of Van Aert's involvement in Lievin. “It can be very positive in a certain race scenario," Nys says of the addition of Van Aert to the Belgian team. "If I have a good day myself, because otherwise it will not be positive, I think. With a very good day, his presence is only good for the course of the race. It plays into my hands then.”

“It’s my first World Championship that I’m going to ride with him,” Nys concludes. “I think that’s cool. I think the level of the race will only increase if he starts. Can I do something for him and do I want to do something for him? I think that’s possible on this course. I told him that too: if I can give him space somewhere or help him, I will definitely do that.”