"Calm down, calm down" — Thibau Nys makes a striking statement about his own cyclo-cross potential after a sudden turnaround

“It means so incredibly much to me,” Nys said openly in the flash interview. “I think I still need to wake up. I’m living in a dream right now. I don’t think people understand how tough the last two weeks have been. I had been looking forward to the cyclo-cross season all summer, and I felt like I’d made huge progress. Then, missing those last weeks of preparation because of illness… It’s so hard to keep your confidence up when you don’t feel it in training. There’s no confirmation, neither in training nor in races. When that’s lacking, it’s really tough mentally.”

This made it all the sweeter for Sven Nys’s son, who managed to regain control — both of the race and himself. “I could think clearly and see everything from a helicopter view, while in recent races, I’ve just been grinding with my head down. This time, I had complete control and didn’t panic once. I even had a small issue with my chain, but I felt that I still had a powerful sprint left.”

Looking to the future, he added, “I hope to keep this momentum going in the coming weeks, months, and years, and bring excitement every time,” he continued. “I need to be cautious still; I hope I’m gradually getting started, but that doesn’t mean I’ll win again next week. It just means I’m looking forward to a steady season.”

On Sunday, Nys crossed the finish line with a calming gesture — Calma, calma, much like Cristiano Ronaldo used to do on the soccer field. What did Nys mean by it? “It’s a reminder for everyone to stay calm and not question everything so much. I know what I’m doing, and it’s all going to be fine.” He repeated this after the podium ceremony in a mixed interview, where IDLProCycling.com was present as well. “It’s about staying very calm and trusting the process. This means so much to me. Later, I’m going to sit down quietly at home, take it all in, and really enjoy it. I’ll never forget this day.”

Although Nys was trying to calm down the outside world, the message seemed directed at himself as well. Over the last few weeks, Nys Jr. had been at a loss. Despite nine (!) wins on the road, a bout of illness had wiped out the foundation he’d built for his beloved cyclo-cross season. “The past weeks have been tough, both physically and mentally. There’s been so little validation to draw confidence from in training and races. I never truly felt that confidence, but you have to keep believing. Things can turn around if you focus hard enough. Believing in the bigger picture makes moments like this possible.”

Before the Overijse race, father Sven Nys, when asked, tried to explain his son’s challenging start to the cyclo-cross season. Twelfth in Beringen and thirteenth in Ruddervoorde — those just weren’t good results. “I have absolutely nothing to say about it; it’s very unpredictable. If it were that simple, you’d just put the pieces together, and it’d be done. But top-level sports can sometimes take a bit longer before you’re back in top form. I don’t think he’s there yet, although he’s definitely built up some freshness. The impact was bigger than we expected, and so the build-up to top form is taking longer.”

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For Thibau Nys, things couldn’t move fast enough. After Ruddervoorde, he spent a week in the Spanish sun, but things didn’t go as planned there either. “I found some freshness in Spain, but against the original plan. I was supposed to have a tough week in preparation for the Koppenberg and the European Championships. But my body and the weather didn’t really allow it, so we tried to focus on recovery. I’ve trained seriously for the past five weeks, so I started today feeling it had to be better than the last few weeks. I just didn’t know how that would translate. I was fresh and able to push for an hour, but I didn’t expect to have this level of intensity. That’s what I’d been missing in my legs in recent weeks.”

Doubt crept in, leading to discussions with his coach, Paul Van den Bosch. Paul had hinted in Belgium that Nys could be back in shape quickly, which seemed surprising given recent results. “There’s been some discussion about the path we’re taking, but I see that as positive. I don’t follow blindly, and neither does Paul. I’m very glad to have someone like him by my side, someone who understands me and has a lot of experience. We’re searching for the right balance, and we’ve already seen that I don’t necessarily improve with the traditional cyclo-cross approach. We’re following our own method, which is a journey. I have to get to know my body and test my limits. How do we tackle that? Paul has been very patient lately, but after today, I’ll just say I was right. But he’ll say the same,” said the smiling winner.

“We’re going to go far together, but we’re still figuring out what works best for me. It might be different from what Paul has done with Lars van der Haar or Pim Ronhaar. I’m a different type of rider,” he added. Sven Nys sometimes has to step in as a mediator between his son and coach Paul. “Paul tries to see the positive side, and I’m inclined to agree. But the rider feels what he feels, and we listen to that too. Thibau has had a very good year, and we know he can do it,” said Nys Sr.

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Now that the first victory has come unexpectedly quickly, there’s room to think about more. Thibau Nys, however, is cautious. “I’m confident I can keep this going, but it’s not easy. This doesn’t guarantee wins in the next two or three races. It does confirm that I have it in me again, and now we need to be very smart in how we approach the coming weeks. Keep the freshness, but also keep up the miles. That’s what I was missing last year, after that trip to the U.S., the European Championships, the Koppenberg… I lost my entire foundation and dropped several levels. Now it’s about keeping that balance. Then I hope I’ll have a good winter ahead.”

A solid, consistent winter is what Nys has been dreaming of for two years now. Competing with the best, week in and week out. According to his father, that drive may be rooted in his cyclo-cross background. “It could be that his remarks stem from the ultimate desire to be truly great. If you’re not performing the way you want, it can start to mess with your mind. But just one race can turn everything around,” he said, almost predicting what would happen before the race in Overijse. “Then you’ll feel the legs you need to have. Thibau himself says he doesn’t feel extra pressure in this discipline, where his father always excelled. But maybe it’s there without him realizing it. We’ll have to see in the coming years how that unfolds. He just really wants to win in this sport, and we’ve already seen flashes of that. Now he just needs the consistency.”

Nys Junior shakes his head when his father’s comments are brought up. “I don’t feel pressure from the outside, only the pressure I put on myself. I know how good I can be in cyclo-cross when I’m at my best. And I don’t believe that today’s performance aligns with what I’ve shown on the road. It can still be better, but because of the illness and tough weeks, it hasn’t fully come through yet. I do believe I can show that in the coming years, as I still believe I can be a better cyclo-cross rider than a road racer. That hasn’t been fully realized yet, and it’s been a bit frustrating, but it doesn’t necessarily create pressure.”

Despite this, the world does look completely different again. Suddenly, Nys can work toward the Koppenbergcross and the European Championships with confidence. “The European Championships was a goal, but recently it seemed like it might be too soon. Now it suddenly seems possible again, but for now, I’m not focused on it. Some guys won’t race the Koppenberg to be in top shape for the European Championships, as it can take a toll. But for me, the Koppenberg is one of the most important races of the year, maybe just as important as the European Championships.”