📸 While Wuyts gets upset over Sven/Thibau comparison, 'Jay Z' Nys poses in striking outfit

Not a day goes by without Thibau Nys being featured on Belgian media sites. Saturday, January 18, 2025, was no exception. Indeed, analyst Michel Wuyts was remarkably critical in a column in HLN, while some valid criticism of Nys was also posted on Instagram.

First up is Wuyts, who gave an analytic preview of the World Cup cyclo-cross in Benidorm on Sunday. Nys is also competing in Spain, and the young Belgian's confidence will soar after his Belgian title. Wout van Aert will be his competitor in Benidorm; Mathieu van der Poel will not be there.

With Nys already securing a European and Belgian elite men's title at 22 this winter, according to cyclo-cross fans, the legacy of his father Sven is already somewhat under pressure. Who is better? Who is getting better? These are popular questions among the Belgian fans. "The question of whether Thibau Nys will threaten Sven's nine Belgian cyclo-cross titles after his first title is absurd and ridiculous," says Wuyts.

Text continues below photo

Sven and Thibau Nys

Question about Thibau and Sven Nys is 'absurd' according to Wuyts

It will take years before Thibau is at the cyclo-cross level of father Sven, Wuyts wants to say. The fact that people say Sven Nys's son is 'in terms of course understanding, physical strength, and explosiveness' already ahead of himself, the columnist on duty dares to doubt. "It is too early to make predictions that claim Thibau will surpass his father in performance."

"I can observe that Thibau Nys achieves higher powers in five- and 10-minute tests than his father did at that time," he states. "I can also see that son Nys rides confidently in top form. In Zolder, from lap two, the boy's face did not have a frown that revealed a hint of anxiety. On the other hand, Sven sometimes suffered from that when the stakes were high."

Wuyts predicts that Sven will always outshine his son regarding his palmares. "For multi-talented men, quality prevails over quantity. 30 wins in a season, established by Sven in 2007, have become beyond reach. Longer road campaigns will prevent Thibau from riding more cyclo-cross races than he does now."

Text continues below photo

Nys wins as European champion

Thibau Nys with European bibs and a Belgian jersey on Instagram

All of this will undoubtedly not affect Thibau Nys. He is having a great cyclo-cross season, and he already has two jerseys in his closet. Nys posed with a daring combo of European Championship bibs and a Belgian Championship jersey for his comeback in Benidorm. "I got 99 problems, but white bibs ain't one," he referred to Jay-Z's hit '99 Problems' on social media.

However, it seems Thibau is not getting away with everything. In the comments, he gets a lot of joke-like reactions, like that white bibs with a Belgian champion's jersey really can't be done. It's also not allowed according to the rules because the cyclo-cross world prescribes a heavy fine if the national champion's jersey is worn instead of the European or World Championship. Nys will, therefore, be seen in white and blue with Baloise Glowi Lions on Sunday.

Read also

"Pressure? What pressure?" Nys pulls a 'Cole Palmer' as dad Sven and girlfriend Anna celebrate joyously

Aerts secures first win since suspension, Cant breaks year-long drought at Belgian race

Preview World Cup Benidorm 2025 | No Belgian mud, but Costa Blanca vibes for Van Aert and Co!

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Get every week the latest news about CYCLING in your inbox!

Subscribe