Nys is full of doubt after "ten days in bed with a fever": "After that, I want to work toward a peak"

This season, Thibau Nys fully blossomed as a road cyclist, achieving five stage wins in WorldTour races and nine victories in total. You would think he would enter the cyclocross season brimming with confidence, but that’s not quite the case...

In an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws, Nys spoke about a disrupted preparation, which has left him with a "sense of panic" just before his first cyclocross race in Beringen (Saturday, October 12). "It’s only three days away, and I’m not sure how I’ll respond," he said with uncertainty. After his last road race in late August, things quickly took a turn for the worse. "After my week of rest, I became seriously ill. It hit me hard. I’m still recovering — not from the illness itself, which has passed, but from regaining the level I want to be at. That takes time."

So, don’t expect too much from Nys in the first few races. He has his sights set on one race where he hopes to be in top form: the Koppenbergcross on November 1. "I don’t know if it’s realistic. It might be too soon. It depends on how I handle the coming weeks. The first two races might give a distorted picture, and maybe I’ll get into form afterward."

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Nys: "I'm not the type to sit back and do nothing"

Shortly after the Koppenbergcross, the European Championships in Spain will take place. Given the short timeframe, his performance there is also uncertain. "It’s early as well. A few months ago, I expected to approach the cyclocross season with a different mindset, with different, bigger goals and higher expectations. So, for me, it’s one big question mark right now. I’m still very motivated, but it’s still a different feeling. But that’s racing. Things don’t always go smoothly."

"You can either cry about it or work on it. I’m working on it," Nys continued determinedly. "It takes time. I hope I can turn things around quickly and be back to myself 100 percent. I’m not the type to sit back and do nothing," he concluded. Wednesday marked the presentation of his cyclocross team, Baloise Trek Lions, which will be renamed Baloise Glowi Lions beginning of next year. Although the brand Trek will disappear from the name, it will remain the team’s bike sponsor.

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Nys is eager to measure up against Van der Poel and Van Aert

During the Baloise Trek Lions presentation, Nys spoke with Sporza, providing more details about his period of illness. "After my last road race, I spent ten days in bed with a fever for 10 days. Because of that, I couldn’t do anything for two weeks, which took a serious toll. The setback I incurred then is something I’m still catching up on." The Koppenbergcross, as mentioned earlier, is the first race where he hopes to compete for the win. "After that, I want to work toward a peak, and it’s realistic that I’ll be in the running to win consistently."

That could change if cycling’s all-rounders — Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock — return to the field, though it remains uncertain how often they will race. For Pidcock, cyclocross has become less of a priority, and for Van der Poel, it has to fit into his spring preparation. Van Aert’s situation is also uncertain. The Belgian is recovering from a severe crash in the Vuelta a España and has only recently returned to short rides. However, preparing for a full cyclocross season remains far from certain.

Still, Nys would love to see the "big three" of cyclocross return this winter. After all, it would provide a valuable benchmark for him. "Of course, it’s a different story if Van Aert and Van der Poel come back. But I do think I’ve made progress this summer. I believe I can grow to reach their level in cyclocross in the future." And despite his growing ambitions on the road, Nys intends to remain active in cyclocross for a long time. "Cyclocross is close to my heart. My road cycling victories don’t take anything away from that."