"The best physically and very strong mentally" - Sven Nys beams thanks to Thibau's incredible record of two Championship titles this winter
Cyclocross
Adding to his European title, Thibau Nys had also become the Belgian champion for next 12 months. The 22-year-old wished for even better season, but his father Sven Nys appears to be already more than hype with the two special jerseys.
"Phew, I’m still the record holder in the family," laughs the 48-year-old team manager of Baloise Glowi Lions in an interview for WielerFlits. "No kidding: it’s fantastic what Thibau does. Especially the way he has written out this scenario for himself. That’s hard to put into words."
Did Thibau's form suddenly improve or is he becoming a championship specialist with two of four victories in 2024/25 coming in biggest races? "It’s a combination of being the best physically and being very strong mentally. You can also start to use up your strength here in places where you shouldn’t… He did it at the perfect moments, at the right places on the course. That’s how his efforts pay off."
Ahead of the Nationals, Thibau declared: "Even if I win the jersey, I'm still not satisfied with my winter." What does his father think of the statement? "He's a winner, isn't he. He wants to start and always win. That's not realistic, but there are two or three races where he was clearly the better rider, which he didn't win this winter. I'm thinking of Diegem, where the scenario didn't go at all the way he wanted. On the other hand, he wins the two most important appointments of the winter so far with the Belgian and European Championships. I never expected that myself," Sven Nys admits.
The cyclocross season is rapidly approaching its later stages and it's already about time to think about road season - after all Tour Down Under is around the corner. But when can we expect Thibau Nys to join for the fun? "There has already been talk about the GP Indurain (5 April), it could also be the Tour of the Basque Country (7 to 12 April), but the schedule will be finalized next week," unveils his father as the goal for Thibau should be the Ardennes and La Fleche Wallonne in particular.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- What a race! I didn't expect Vanthourenhout to collapse like that, and Wyseure did take the fight to Nys, but there was no doubt at the end. I also wonder what Aubin Sparfel would be capable of were he to race in the elites now. In the U23 ranks he is making good work of Giel Lejeune, who himself is among the better riders in the elites, and a top 10 contender in the big races (3rd at Kleebergcross, 8th at Berencross and 5th at Heerderstrand). In the French Cup, Sparfel is significantly better than Romain Debord (8th at Koppenbergcross and 10th at the Euros) and Rémi Lelandais (12th at Koppenbergcross and 19th at the Euros).
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- He should have been allowed to go to Movistar. Right now both arent a good fit for each other and are just wasting each other's time and effortabstractengineer08-11-2026
- Thibau Nys does exactly what Iserbyt is calling forRafionain-Glas08-11-2026
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