“I just didn’t have the legs to get up there” - Thibau Nys has to dig deeper than ever this season to make it three from three at Bollekescross
Cyclocross
Thibau Nys usually backs himself through fast, dry corners. At Bollekescross, he struggled to hold his position through them and spent much of his first race in the European champion’s jersey wondering how to get to the front. He finally got there on the last lap in Hamme-Zogge and held off Niels Vandeputte and Michael Vanthourenhout to make it three wins from three this winter.
“I can’t remember the last time I dug that deep, in the past few months or even years. I really had to find something from somewhere,” Nys told Sporza as he caught his breath after the finish.
Why Nys stayed on the same bike at Bollekescross
With three laps to go, Joran Wyseure took over at the front and Nys was back in eighth. He wanted less pressure in his tyres, but the speed of the race made it difficult to find a moment to change bikes.
“I just didn’t have the legs to get up there. I struggled with the speed and I wasn’t getting the technical sections right either,” he said. “I wanted to switch to a bike with slightly lower tyre pressure, but I couldn’t find the right moment to come into the pits. So I took my chances and stayed on the same bike.”
Nys worked his way up to third behind Wyseure and Vanthourenhout, who held him off when he tried to pass on the inside at the top of the steps. “Normally I’m quite good in those dry, fast corners. Today I just didn’t have it. I never really found my rhythm. I was really struggling,” Nys added. “Phew, I’m absolutely knackered.”
Nys doubted he could still win
Nys got past Vanthourenhout on the final lap, then lost a few metres when he slipped trying to pass Wyseure at the barriers. He closed the gap and found a way through on a left-hand bend, reaching the finishing straight with three riders still close enough to contest the sprint.
“The sprint itself was still OK, but… I don’t know where I found that last effort, because I don’t think I really believed I could win any more.”
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Vandeputte edged Vanthourenhout for second, with all three riders credited with the same time. Wyseure finished fourth, one second back.
Nys has now won both rounds of the X²O Badkamers Trofee, having opened his season with victory at the Koppenbergcross. The series continues next Sunday at the Be-Mine Cross in Beringen.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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