Nys beats Van Aert for the first time, now Van der Poel is the next target: "How would I stack up against Mathieu for the rest of the race?"

Thibau Nys is on fire. The Belgian rider for Baloise Glowi Lions claimed yet another big cyclo-cross victory in Benidorm, just a week after his dominant win at the Belgian Championships in Heusden-Zolder. It marked the first time Nys defeated Wout van Aert, who finished fourth and still had praise for him after their intense glorious battle. Speaking to IDLProCycling.com and other media outlets, Nys reflected with his characteristic candor: "I would’ve preferred if Wout had been second."

"Finally, everything is starting to kind of fall into place—I had the right legs at the right time. That’s amazing. 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," explained Nys, who made his decisive move on the asphalt climb.

"I feel like I had the race under control. In previous years, the pace on that climb would sometimes slow down, but that didn’t happen this time. That worked in my favor—the race kept flowing," he continued. "It was the same at the European Championships. I think Wout had to use a lot of energy after his bad start, but you always keep him in the back of your mind: he’s coming, he’s coming, he’s coming. That makes it dangerous to fully blow up your own race."

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Nys kept a close eye on Van Aert: "I was still a bit afraid of Wout"

“When Wout is in the race, everyone is on guard and looking at him. At some point, though, you have to race your own race. So when I had a small gap near the pit zone, I knew I had to keep going,” explained the son of Sven Nys about his tactics. “I couldn’t keep factoring in Wout. I let Eli (Iserbyt, ed.) have a small gap and made my move at the right moment. I was able to hold it all the way to the finish.”

“The turning point for me came there, but I was still a bit worried about Wout. I think I chose the right moment, but it’s a very specific effort on that climb. You don’t find something like that everywhere,” Nys noted. “It’s the type of race I don’t particularly enjoy, but I’m very good at. With the gravel and attacks coming from all sides... it’s much more relaxed in Baal or Overijse. Here, you have to keep your focus high—and I can handle that.”

“Benidorm is starting to become a classic; it has something special. I’m not 100% a fan of the course, but I am 100% a fan of this race, in this location, on this date. It’s here to stay, so winning here is great. After winning two championships, it’s hard to rank this one, but I’ll definitely remember it,” Nys concluded. He now returns to Denia, where he’s training with Lidl-Trek’s road team. “I hope to add another win next weekend.”

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Nys: "Am I the favorite for the World Championships? With Van der Poel? No, not at all"

With his victories at the Belgian Championships and in Benidorm, Thibau Nys is firmly placing himself among the contenders for the World Championships. “Could I have kept up with Van der Poel on that asphalt climb? 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?”

When it comes to being the favorite for the World Championships in Lievin, Nys is quick to dismiss the idea. “Me? No, no. Not at all,” he said, sounding more than convinced.

Want to know when and where the most exciting races of 2025 will take place? Check out our updated 2025 cycling calendars for the men's and women's peloton!

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