Nys family explores Belgian National Championship course, Thibau honest: "Classic like Diegem or Baal would mean more to me than that jersey"

Next Sunday, the National Cyclo-cross Championships will take place all over Europe. Yet there is only one real cyclo-cross nation, and that, of course, is Belgium. On Wednesday, the riders were already showing themselves during a recon on the course in Heusden-Zolder. Thibau Nys, one of the favorites for the Belgian tricolor, commented on his recon.

In the Belgian province of Limburg, a satisfied Nys spoke to VTM News. After seeing the changed course for the first time, he said, "I like it better than I had anticipated. "With that slope, among other things, it is all a bit more selective. Otherwise, if it stays dry on Sunday, it would have become a game of chance. Now, you can make the difference slightly easier. This is a beautiful championship course where different scenarios are possible; I like that."

While Nys usually collaborates with teammates like Lars van der Haar and Pim Ronhaar, he anticipates having to fend for himself this time. "I'm not working on that right now. It will mainly be a matter of details. And how I feel on Sunday, of course. It will be difficult if it is like in Baal or Dendermonde, but I still feel hungry. I have the impression there is still some serious 'oomph' in me," said the motivated Belgian, who was able to win the European Championship in Pontevedra, Spain, at the beginning of November.

Since then, he has only won once more — so a Belgian title would be a welcome addition. However, Nys admits he’d rather have more victories than another title. "Becoming Belgian champion would be fantastic, but I would have preferred winning four or five more races," he told Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws. "A classic like Diegem or Baal would have meant more to me than that jersey. Winning the jersey doesn’t suddenly make me rate myself ten out of ten."

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Nys senior also happy: "Final will be a lot fairer this way"

Father Sven was also pleased with his observations. "The final will be a lot fairer this way. There will be less 'fiddling'. The chance of a sprint is reduced. Especially at the end, that slope can make a difference. So I think it will be decided during the last two rounds," Nys senior said after previewing the course.

The nine-time Belgian champion gives his son some advice. "For Thibau, it's all about building up to Sunday. He has proven that he can handle the stress of such a championship. It should also provide peace of mind that he already has that European jersey. His season will not depend on what happens on Sunday," the Baloise Glowi Lions team manager said.

On Sunday, Nys will meet the strong Pauwels Sauzen-Cibel duo Michael Vanthourenhout and Eli Iserbyt in Heusden-Zolder. The latter had to miss the recon due to stomach flu, but his championship is not in jeopardy. Other contenders are Laurens Sweeck, Joran Wyseure, Emiel Verstrynge (Corelan-Corendon), Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin-Deceuninck), and Toon Aerts of Deschacht-Hens-FSP.

Read also

Iserbyt skipped recon session ahead of Belgian Cyclo-cross Championships: "Became ill after Dendermonde"

Soete on younger years with Van Aert: "Then we had one night to drink and party as much as we wanted"

Stunning victory for Wout van Aert in the mud: From "if only I had a minor rib injury," to "this Is why I wanted to be a cyclo-cross rider"

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