Sven Nys: "At the age of 21, Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert let cyclocross take precedence and rode at most ten or fifteen races on the road. Thibau this year 34"

Thibau Nys has had a stellar season on the road this year and at the age of 21 he is seemingly on the brink of a big breakthrough. He has won tremendously on the road over this summer, including five World Tour races, and is now aiming to score big in the cyclocross season.

"Overijse was a turning point, the victory gave him an enormous ‘boost’. At the same time, he realises that he will start again on Friday and Sunday with a blank sheet of paper, which needs to be filled. But the leap has been made," Sven Nys told Het Laatste Nieuws. "One simple explanation: rest. It was always training, training, training. Because after that sore throat, bronchitis and antibiotic treatment in the run-up to the cyclocross season, he had to catch up".

Nys, unlike last season, had a slower start to the cross season but has hit good form, winning over Eli Iserbyt in Overijse and is currently perhaps the biggest favourite to win the Koppenbergcross where he was the victor last year. With the European Championships in Pontevedra only a few days away as well, it could be that the Baloise - Trek Lions could be in for an incredibly successful week if he is able to show the legs of the past weekend.

He has done this after recovering from illness reecently. “... Thibau knows exactly what he wants. He is not the man who blindly swallows, believes and carries out everything you tell him. He is creative and likes to give it his own twist. He constantly seeks the maximum limits: 95% is not enough, it has to be 100%. And he can't stand losing very well," he jokes. "That's good. But of course you're inevitably confronted with that. It makes the whole coaching process extremely... fascinating and interesting".

Father Sven, a legend in the field as well, points out how carefully tailed Thibau's schedule is: "At the age of 21, Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert let cyclocross take precedence and rode at most ten or fifteen races on the road. Thibau this year 34! After which he will add another 22 cyclocross races. So there is very little margin for making mistakes".

There are many goals for this upcoming winter which should include the World Championships as well, before a big resting period and beginning of the road season in April. Nys junior already said Flèche Wallone should be a goal, Sven shares more insight into the thought process behind it:

“Not yet," he responded to the possibility of him racing the March classics. "As good as those races should suit him: they are too early. If you extend your winter until the World Championship, you will need recovery and reconstruction afterwards. Flèche Wallone, possibly Brabantse Pijl, Amstel Gold Race, Liège-Bastogne-Liège if he is really at his best: that should be possible in principle. He does want to ride a ‘race’ first (stage-race, ed.), in the run-up to that series. The Tour of the Basque Country is an option".

A Grand Tour is also on the plans, although there's no decision yet on whether this will be the Giro d'Italia or the Tour de France. “We are still waiting for the course presentations for that Grand Tour (the Giro, ed.). In the Tour, that Mûr-de-Bretagne stage stands out. That would really suit him. But maybe there are three or four of those ‘punchy’ finishes in the Giro or Vuelta, where he has a real chance of winning a stage," Nys concluded.