In-form Thibau Nys forced to miss anticipated showdown with Van der Poel and Van Aert

Thibau Nys will not start at the cyclo-cross World Cup in Maasmechelen on Saturday. The European and Belgian champion has withdrawn from the cyclo-cross race in Belgium due to health reasons. Nys has been experiencing symptoms of illness over the past few days and does not want to take any risks with the World Championships in Liévin next week, according to Sporza.

The Baloise Trek Lions rider had been in excellent form. Last weekend, he impressively won the World Cup in Benidorm, Spain, where he dropped his opponents with a powerful acceleration. He also claimed the Belgian championship title with a similar attack. His recent performances had made him one of the favorites for the World Championships, but a sudden flu or cold has disrupted his preparations.

With recovery now the priority, Nys has decided to skip the race in Maasmechelen. Whether he will start at the World Championships in Liévin next week remains uncertain. His team will closely monitor the situation and decide on his participation based on his recovery.

Niels Vandeputte has also withdrawn, as he is still recovering from illness. "However, he hopes to be back in action on Sunday and his participation at the Worlds remains unaffected," said Alpecin-Deceuninck.

Thibau Nys

Nys felt everything finally started to come together in Benidorm

Last Sunday, Nys triumphed with remarkable power in Benidorm. It was the first time Nys managed to defeat Wout van Aert in a direct duel, a clear sign of the Belgian's top form. "Finally, everything is starting to kind of fall into place—I had the right legs at the right time. That’s amazing," Nys said afterward. "I think everything went according to plan, especially since Wout completely botched his start, ending up so far back. The pace in the lead group never really dropped, which made it tough for him to return. We took advantage of that in the finale, which worked to my benefit," Nys analyzed.

Maasmechelen was supposed to be the final stop and perhaps the last piece of the puzzle leading up to next week’s World Championships. That opportunity is now gone. Despite this, Nys will start the World Championships as one of the top favorites based on his recent performances, although he downplays this himself. "Me? No, no. Not at all," he said after the race in Benidorm.

He was also asked whether he could have kept up with Mathieu van der Poel on the decisive asphalt climb if the Dutchman had raced in Benidorm. "In theory, if there’s anywhere I might be able to match him, it would be on a climb like that. But he’s in such a different class that he can do it lap after lap and maintain an even sharper pace afterward. On the climb itself, I might have been able to follow him, but what about the rest of the lap?"

Despite his modesty, much of Belgium's hope for the World Championships rests on Nys, as Wout van Aert will not participate. The Belgian selection also includes Toon Aerts, Eli Iserbyt, Laurens Sweeck, Niels Vandeputte, Michael Vanthourenhout, Emiel Verstrynge, and Joran Wyseure.

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