“I rode the corners perfectly, that gave me a real kick” – Thibau Nys savours Dendermonde breakthrough

Thibau Nys admitted that how he won mattered just as much as the result itself after sealing a long-awaited victory at the UCI Cyclocross World Cup Dendermonde, executing a near-perfect final lap to outmanoeuvre Tibor Del Grosso.

“I rode the corners perfectly, and that really gave me a kick,” Nys said after the finish to Sporza. “That’s what made this win so nice.”

After a race defined by relentless pace and constant reshuffling at the front, Nys finally found the opening he had been searching for all afternoon. With speed through the technical sections and sharp positioning into the finale, the Belgian champion was able to control the sprint and keep Del Grosso behind him to the line.

For Nys, the victory carried extra significance because it marked a return to a style of winning that had largely been missing in recent seasons.

“This used to be my trademark,” he explained. “From my junior years onwards, I was known for taking control in the final lap. That’s something I’ve struggled with in recent years. It had been a long time since I could win a race like this. I’m really happy to finish it this way.”

Throughout the closing laps in Dendermonde, Nys repeatedly tested his rivals, using short accelerations to gauge reactions and measure how much space he could create.

“I gave a few little digs at the right moments, just to see how the others reacted and whether I could put them at full stretch,” he said. “I could feel that I still had a sprint in my legs.”

That confidence proved decisive on the final lap. Rather than attacking blindly, Nys focused on entering the decisive sections in the right position, knowing that passing opportunities were limited on the fast, compact course.

“It was about entering the last lap in the right place and making my move after the technical section,” he explained. “The corners had to be taken with full risk, because I didn’t want Tibor sitting perfectly on my wheel.”

Nys delivered exactly that. Carrying maximum speed through the turns, he opened just enough space to control the sprint and secure his first victory in nearly a month.

“I felt really explosive today,” he concluded.

After a race where no move stuck for long, Nys’ precision, timing and confidence through the technical sections proved decisive, underlining that patience and positioning can be just as powerful as raw force in a crowded World Cup finale.