“I didn't dare believe in the victory" - Technical masterclass earns Thibau Nys career-changing victory at Waterloo cyclocross

The cyclocross world may have witnessed last night the birth of a new legend. Thibau Nys, the son of legend Sven Nys, has for many years promised to perform at the highest level, and in the first World Cup race of the season in Waterloo he delivered an impressive performance to take the victory.

“At the beginning of the cross I lost a lot of positions. I was pushed out in the first corner, I chose the wrong track. As a result, I was no longer in the top 10. Then I chose my moment to move up and then I was quickly able to pass five or six people. I was still the first to cross the line in the first lap, which gave me a good feeling,” Nys said in a post-race interview.

Nys saw Iserbyt suffer a broken shoe in the first few laps of the race, and together with Pim Ronhaar maintained the gap that was created. However it did not take long for him to set off on his own, incredibly being the only rider climbing up the steps and an extremely steep bank section on the bike. Every lap this earned him a few seconds on the competition, which a fast-chasing Iserbyt could not close down.

Nys won his first pro cyclocross race last week in Beringen ahead of Iserbyt, and now his first World Cup against the Belgian. “I didn't dare believe in the victory. Because of that hill I was able to gain a few seconds every lap," he is aware. "When I reached the bridge for the final straight line on the last lap, I felt an enormous amount of relief and joy." Whether the World Cup will or not become a goal for the Belgian remains to be seen.