"Thibau Nys is the man to beat": Verstrynge points out the clear favourite to take home the Belgian Nationals

The national championships of cyclocross are taking place this weekend in most of the countries, and Belgium is obviously amongst them. One of the biggest favourites to take the title is Emiel Verstrynge, who has had an extremely consistent season so far.

Verstrynge has a clear goal in mind: to finish in the podium. “I think that on Sunday that is the ambition, although you naturally hope for a championship to be something more. But given the last few weeks, I think the podium can be my ambition,” said the Crelan-Corendon rider in an interview to Wieler Flits.

One man stands above the rest, especially after Wout van Aert fractured an ankle in Mol. "Thibau Nys is the man to beat. None of the Belgians has won as many races this winter. But behind him there are many of us who are more or less on the same level and who can go very far on a good day."

Despite being put forward as a major challenger, Verstrynge does not feel excessive pressure. “People may count me among the favourites, but personally I try to stay calm and approach it like any other race. But I am also realistic. That expectations have increased over the past two weeks is simply a fact.”

Weather conditions remain uncertain, with snow and ice still affecting the course in Beringen. Organisers have already removed dangerous sections of the circuit, but there might still be more rain or snow before the race.

“It will not be easy for the organisers either. I hope they manage to get everything in order and that we get a nice championship. For the riders, these are conditions we do not encounter very often. In Zonhoven last Sunday, you already noticed that it was not easy. On top of that, in Beringen it is constantly uphill and downhill,” Verstrynge said.

He is unsure whether very slippery conditions would work in his favour. “Difficult. Nobody can say: this is my thing or this is not my thing. We never race in such conditions. Last Sunday it went well for me, but when it is slippery the danger is always lurking.”

The Belgian Championships will most likely also mark the end of Verstrynge’s cyclo-cross winter, as the World Championships, set to take place in Hulst on February 1, are not on his schedule.

“Normally the plan is simply to finish the season on Sunday. If I want to keep doing both at a high level - road cycling and cyclo-cross - it is logical that choices have to be made. In elite sport it is rarely a matter of and, and, and. Ideally I would like to do everything, but realistically I know that is not possible. By making choices, it should actually become easier in the long term to combine both.”

However, even if he will skip them this year, he obviusly plans to participate in the future. “It is not because I am not doing it this year that I will not ride it next year, for example. My cyclo-cross season started very early compared to the road riders who do continue until the World Championships. They have only been racing cyclo-cross for two or three weeks now. That makes a difference in terms of planning. I now need the rest that they do not yet need at this point heading towards spring.”

And even if he were to win the Belgian title on Sunday, his plans would remain unchanged. “I assume that next week I will simply rest and then build up again towards the first races. If I were to become champion and then say that I will still ride the World Championships, that would be an emotional choice. I prefer to stick to what was planned in advance. That is what I feel most comfortable with. That is how I work.”