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"It's hard not to be able to show the best of myself" - Thibau Nys disappointed to not be able to find best form back
CyclocrossSaturday, 30 December 2023 at 13:16
Thibau Nys began his cyclocross season in full steam, getting his first big win as an Elite in Beringen, World Cup in Waterloo, and then the Koppenbergcross. Ever since however he's been a shadow of himself, and that has not been of much delight to the talented Belgian.
"Life is a game. And it's full of catches at every level. There will always be people who want to bring you down. You just have to get over them. The way I started the season set expectations quite high, but not too high. I didn't feel like I was going over my limit," Nys admits in an interview with Rouleur. "That was just my level and I felt like I was ready to stay at that level for the rest of the winter season, but that wasn't the case. It's a bit difficult mentally not to get those results anymore."
Nys has dealth with back issues, but the form has also not been the best. The 21-year old is enormously talented but in a discipline where experience is key to deal with months of consecutive intense competitions, the pieces have not yet fallen into place. "Maybe it's because I'm young. I am confident that what I showed in the first weeks of the season, I can show for much longer in the coming years. It's about learning, getting stronger. It feels a bit shitty to fall back a bit, but I know I can perform much better than I am now. It's hard not to be able to show the best of myself."
The Baloise - Trek Lions has nevertheless continued competing and has become a solid figure in the Top10, whilst hoping to have his best legs back and still fight for wins this season. "I think in cyclocross it is more difficult to be consistent. It's so intense. If you come home from the weekend all worked up, it's difficult to train during the week and still be fresh the following Sunday. Especially if you combine it with a long road season. It's more important to be fresh in cyclocross than on the road, because every pedal counts from the first second. If you miss two or three percent, you can't show yourself. Everything has to fall into place."
Whilst the road is also a big goal for the upcoming season, Nys for the time being is only having cyclocross in mind and does prefer the action of the discipline. "When everything goes well and the performance is good, it is like living a dream, like being on a cloud. Road racing is also fun, but cyclocross is cooler," he argues. "Winning races that my dad used to win, coming back to the same courses with all that history of him being there, that's cool. The sport has changed so much, it's a completely different thing now, but I feel like I'm learning more and more these days, when I thought I would learn less and less. My dad is a big part of my learning process.”
He's also asked about a possible battle with Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert, who have set a precedent of combining both disciplines very successfully in a way that Nys is expected to be able to replicate. "That's not something I'm thinking about right now," he answers. "I just want to bring the best version of myself to the races every week. If it is without Mathieu and Wout, I will try to go for the podium. If it is with them, I try to follow them as long as possible and I am happy with a top five place."
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