Although he started the winter in top form, notably taking his first ever UCI
World Cup win in Waterloo, Nys' performances faltered somewhat in the more recent of his outings. His last cross before his break for example, Nys only managed a 19th placed finish in Flamanville.
“I read in the press that he was completely devastated. It wasn't that bad," says Braes. "A period without competitions was certainly necessary and to put on the brakes, but he was not that deep. That was probably the emotion immediately after the race. Two days later it was a different story. If you chatted with him, it was something different. He is a young rider and made his debut in the WorldTour last year, which does something to you. You have to realize that too. But that bad moment is now behind us. We have confidence.”