"I want to win": Thibau Nys ambitious as ever before his 2025/26 cyclocross debut

Thibau Nys has a bright future ahead of him on road, however the Belgian talent's biggest passion is cyclocross and that's why we can look forward to seeing the Lidl-Trek talent in action already this Saturday at the Koppenbergcross. Due to the late start of the winter (compared to his rivals), the current European champion won't defend his throne next weekend in Middelkerke.

But the competitive return is clearly very exciting for the 23-year-old: "It's just a goal, and I want to win," Nys tells Sporza without beating around the bush for too long. Baloise - Trek Lions will once again rely on his contribution this winter.

"Maybe everyone expects that of me now, too. I don't let it get to me. In a way, I also like that it's expected of me. That's a sign that I've already accomplished something, so I look at it positively. Although I still believe it won't be easy. There are some very strong men present. I will have to be 100% to win," says the 2024 European champion.

A few days ago he gave a glimpse of his peak form in a flashy training video that suggests the best. Lightning-fast on and off the bike, giving it his all on the climbs, and blazing through technical sections. Was Nys secretly trying to announce his arrival to the competition?

"No, that's a weekday training day," he laughs. "I enjoyed sharing it, but it certainly wasn't to scare the competition. It was a fun video, and I heard it was getting some reactions. I hope I can confirm that this coming weekend."

Road is calling stronger with every passed year. This year, Nys got a taste of the spring classics as well as the Tour de France. And yet at the end of October he's already here, ready to give it his best in the field. "I'm very eager. That's normally a sign that I'm ready. I feel like I've done what I had to do."

Nys also had to deal with some setbacks during his road campaign and thus his team agreed to pull out the stops already at the end of August to allow Nys to prepare for the winter without any pressure.

"I just feel really good. I've applied the right intensity to my basic fitness to have a good cyclocross season," he agrees. "I hope it pays off from the first weekend and not after a few races, because every race is important. The signals are very positive, but I can't blindly assume that everything will be alright."

He estimates his fitness level is at 95% after all the troubles he's been through recently. "Well, give me good health first. I'm happy with that. And maybe that's related to more wins than last season," Nys concludes with a wink. "Bring on the cross, it’s taken long enough."