"The best physically and very strong mentally" - Sven Nys beams thanks to Thibau's incredible record of two Championship titles this winter

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.