“I do not want to be that kind of crosser” – Thibau Nys reflects on second place behind Mathieu van der Poel and his season so far

Thibau Nys delivered an impressive performance on Sunday, finishing second to Mathieu van der Poel. The Baloise - Trek Lions rider was unable to match Van der Poel’s incredible power and skill but was the best of the rest. Speaking to In de Leiderstrui, Nys provided insight into his current form and the challenges he’s facing in cyclocross.

"We're in a process. I notice that I'm not ready for it if it's very cross-specific," Nys explained. "I can handle the rhythm changes, but not the cross breaks. In Hulst we had to get off every fifty meters and it was climbing, sliding and so on. I keep bumping into that a bit. But in Zonhoven it was a lap for the big bikes again and then I can convert my power into speed. Then you see the difference immediately. But okay, I'm not satisfied with that conclusion. That needs to be worked on."

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Reflecting on his performance, Nys added, "I had a good day, but it wasn't spectacular. I wasn't super, super good, but I could do the thing I'm good at at the moment. The last few weeks I've felt super strong, but not tuned up well enough to ride crosses like Hulst. That's a problem."

Despite the challenges, the second place behind Van der Poel carried significant meaning for Nys. "It's nice, but mainly because it feels good that I'm playing a significant role and that I'm at my level. In recent weeks, that was a bit disappointing, partly due to bad luck. Food for thought may be an exaggeration, but we learn every day. I have to work more cross-specifically. In Spain, I had one of my best weeks of training, I was flying around there."

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Looking ahead, Nys hopes to make improvements during the upcoming busy period. "I hope I can grow into it a bit during the races, because it is difficult to really restore that fact during this busy Christmas period," he shared. "In Diegem and Baal my power will probably be more evident, but I also have to be able to do Hulst. And I was not ready for that and I am even a bit ashamed of it, compared to myself. That is the essence of cross, something I used to be best at. I have lost those qualities, but I do not want to evolve into a road racer who can only occasionally use his power in cross. I do not want to grow into that, I do not want to be that kind of crosser."