"I am speechless" - Thibau Nys secures first senior title at 2024 European Championship

Living in the shadow of the great Sven Nys cannot be an easy task but Thibau Nys is really starting to come into his own. At the 2024 European Championship, the Belgian has now taken a first senior title, securing the biggest victory of his blossoming career after a thrilling race in Pontevedra.

“I didn't expect to have so much control from the start,” reflects Nys of his European Championship victory in his immediate post-race interview afterwards. "It was a super fast race. It was so difficult to force a gap here. I came into the starting line with the intention of just letting everything happen, adapting to any scenario. It was all so clear in my head. I knew exactly what I had to do."

Somewhat surprisingly, home crowd hero Felipe Orts emerged as Nys' biggest challenger, pushing the young Belgian all the way and eventually taking 2nd place ahead of Eli Iserbyt. “I had complete control when I took the lead and I had the best companion in Felipe (Orts),” says Nys, full of praise for the Spaniard. "I knew he would be ready for this championship and I knew he would go all out. This was really a goal for him. We understood each other perfectly and we went all out together. It was really 100 percent perfect."

With plenty of the cyclocross season still to go, Nys now has the added impetus of donning the European jersey. "I can now just race in this jersey. I am speechless for a moment," he concludes with a smile.