"Making choices is part of the sport" - Sven Nys doesn't see point in making the World Cup starts mandatory

A good day for Baloise Trek Lions in the Superprestige of Merksplas, despite the absence of its leaders. Lucinda Brand was active among the women and even put Ceylin Alvarado under pressure in the opening phase. Joris Nieuwenhuis dominated from start to finish among the men. Team boss Sven Nys rubbed his hands in an interview with In de Leiderstrui.

The list of absentees from Nys' team was large: no Lars van der Haar, no Thibau Nys and no Pim Ronhaar. Add to that the fact that Shirin van Anrooij has still not made her cross debut and you would naturally expect a modest weekend at Sven Nys' camp.

"In the past, everyone could participate in any competition," Nys explains. "The calendar is now so full that you always have to disappoint organizations. Now that is a Super prestige, but in the coming weeks the riders will also skip a World Cup again," Nys explains.

Nys even dares to go a step further. "If you make the World Cup mandatory, it is the same as making the WorldTour mandatory on the road. There you also see that riders do not ride Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Paris-Roubaix alike. In cyclo cross, not all top competitions are part of the World Cup. I think of the Koppenbergcross and the race in Ruddervoorde. Making choices is part of the sport."