"I had a very hard time hurting myself" - Thibau Nys struggles to seventh in Maasmechelen after tricky day

Thibau Nys was unable to replicate his success from the opening round of UCI World Cup action this Sunday in Maasmechelen. On a tricky day for the young Belgian, Nys made a number of slip-ups eventually finishing seventh.

"I had a surplus in the first half, but in the end I couldn't get over my head," Nys told In de Leiderstrui in his post-race interview. Having looked good for at least second place heading into the final lap, a late crash knocked him further down and Nys was forced to settle for seventh. "I had a very hard time hurting myself. I don't know how it happens. I didn't feel great during the exploration, but it could also just be a bad day. Of course, that's also possible someday."

"I just wasn't in the race well and then you make a lot of mistakes," he continues before blaming himself for the crash that ruined his hopes of a podium finish. "Now that was an expensive one, because I lost a podium place. Those would have been nice points to take into account for the rankings and I would have been very happy with a place on the podium. My fall doesn't bother me, but I still need to have it checked out."

After winning last round in Waterloo, this was a dramatic drop for Nys. "I won the first World Cup and am now seventh, so things can change very quickly," he admits. "It's great that Lars van der Haar takes that victory home and I hope that we can continue that trend with the entire team to the Koppenbergcross."