"It is just very impressive how he rides around" - Thibau Nys impressed after racing alongside Mathieu van der Poel

Thibau Nys is back to cyclocross this weekend in Antwerp, after taking a few weeks off competition from fatigue. That and back pain hampered him after a brilliant start to the season, but still he was very impressed by watching Mathieu van der Poel's race.

“I don't know if I was really overtired, but I took it very easy for the first three days. Both mentally and physically. Then I picked up the thread again and got good signals. I still start with a lot of doubts, but I am quite relaxed," Nys told Wielerflits regarding his first races of the year. Despite having a very high level at the start of the season, with the competition that has now come in he doesn't expect to fight for victories: “I'm not really concerned with that. The level will probably have gone up. It is unlikely what Mathieu [van der Poel] does. A lot has already been said and written about it, but it is just very impressive how he rides around.”

Nys rode in Flamanville and then for 20 days did not compete. He took this time to rest, but also to join Lidl-Trek on a training camp in Spain - where he said that he would target the Giro d'Italia. “I would have liked to stay another week longer. I think we did what we had to do, but I hope to gradually regain the fitness of the first weeks of the season. It was also nice to train with the teammates for Lidl-Trek. A good group, in which I already feel at home. The ideal preparation.”

Nys' preparation is key at this time of year, as many riders feel the fatigue setting in after two and a half months of intense racing. With the national and World Championships still looming in the distance, many look for different ways to manage their form. Nys does not have goals in any cup, so he has the 'luxury' of being able to choose his schedule more conveniently to fit it.

The Belgian national championships in mid-January could certainly be one of them: “That could be a great goal to work towards in the coming weeks, but it's not like I had that in mind during my internship. If I'm good, maybe there will be an opportunity there. But I'm just trying to get myself back on track." Nys was ninth in Antwerp, and will hope to perform better over the coming weeks.