Thibau Nys only became a road cyclist after his mother was infected with COVID-19: "From there, it just took off!"

That may sound strange, but Nys explains the bizarre situation. “If ‘our mom’ hadn't gotten COVID-19 in 2021, I might never have become a road cyclist. It sounds crazy, but it's true," he told Het Laatste Nieuws. He struggled to keep up with his peers in his first year as a U23 rider. A training camp in Mallorca was supposed to take him to the next level. ”After that, I was going to compete in the Tour of Wallonia, where I could maybe finish in the top ten in a chaotic bunch sprint at that level. Nothing spectacular."

"But then my mother got COVID-19 in Mallorca. I ended up in quarantine, disappointed, and unable to race. The alternative: the Tours of Flemish Brabant and Namur for elite riders without a contract and U23. 'Oh well, I thought.' However, I accumulated victories and top places and finished second in the Belgian Championship for U23. 'Would you like to go to the World Championships in Leuven?' national coach Sven Vanthourenhout asked me on the phone. Me: 'Um... yes. That would be awesome!'"

Two minutes later, the phone rang again. "You can also go to the European Championships in Trento as preparation." I won that 'preparation' and became the European champion. In Trento, Nys beat home rider Filippo Baroncini and Juan Ayuso, among others. Fellow countryman Lennert Van Eetvelt finished fifth. "From there, it just took off!"

National coach Vanthourenhout recalls it as if it were yesterday. The European Championships were his first real encounter with the top rider. "That typical Thibau Nys spark of brilliance, which nowadays makes the difference and wins him sprints: I saw it for the first time at the 2021 European Championships in Trento," says the Belgian. "At the start of the final lap, Lennert Van Eetvelt was still slightly ahead. Behind him, a group of four formed on the last 3-kilometer climb. Without Thibau."

It didn't look good for the Belgian team. "The gap with Van Eetvelt was getting smaller, so Serge Pauwels (now Belgian national coach, ed.) and I had to drop back just before the top. 'The winner will be in the top five,' we thought. Suddenly, we saw Thibau break away from a small group in the distance. Easily outclassing the rest, he sprinted ahead to the front in one go. It still gives me goosebumps. 'He's going to win,' I said to Serge, who looked at me in amazement. 'You can be sure of that; I know him very well. The rest is history.'"