Nys (who promises to compete in Worlds) could fulfill bold 2004 prediction, Van der Poel flips him "middle finger"

The Nys family is arguably the most famous name in Belgian cycling. Sven Nys was one of the world’s top cyclo-cross riders for years, and now his son Thibau is steadily climbing the ranks. On top of that, they’ve become reality TV stars, with a new season of DNA Nys just about to launch. The latest episode of the VRT Max series offers plenty of entertaining moments.

One standout scene shows a fun exchange between Nys and Mathieu van der Poel before the start of the Azencross in Loenhout. "I arrived at the start area and saw Mathieu standing with his foot in my starting box," Nys recalls. "I jokingly said, ‘Hey, buddy, how about standing in your own box?’ And he gave me the middle finger in return. Very playful," Nys laughs. For the European champion, having the world champion as a competitor is a positive. "Mathieu is super relaxed before a race. You can still joke around with him at the starting line."

The episode also dives into Thibau’s personality, which is anything but shy. He’s known for bold style choices that sometimes raise eyebrows. "I push back here and there when it feels a bit much for me," father Sven admits. "It’s been that way since he was younger, like when he’d show up in shoes I’d wear to a carnival party. Or now, when he gets a tattoo, and I only find out three weeks later. ‘What did you put on your arm this time?’ And then there’s the haircuts…"

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Thibau Nys' big goal is clear

A big weekend could bring an old prediction to life

Thibau isn’t too bothered by opinions. He’s always focused on doing things his way and doesn’t pay much attention to outside noise. "People write so much online that you need to block some of it out. I do think it’s important to show some personality, though. It's something I'm aware of, but I don't obsess over it."

Let’s rewind to 2004. A young Thibau was featured in a Sportweekend documentary, where filmmaker Chris Picavet boldly declared, "The 2025 world champion is already known — it will be Thibau Nys." Next week, he has the chance to make that prediction a reality. "It would be incredible if I could live up to what Chris said and become world champion in 2025," Thibau says.

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Thibau Nys vows to race at the Worlds, despite illness

Right now, Thibau is dealing with illness, making his World Championship prep far from ideal. However, in an interview with HLN, he promised he’ll be there. "I’m not feeling terrible, but I could feel better. Either way, I’ll be there on Sunday. I couldn’t have predicted how I’d feel in Hoogerheide. On Saturday, I felt pretty good during training, but racing is another story. It turns out I just wasn’t ready to do a cyclo-cross race."

After pulling out early, Thibau now has a week to recover those killer legs that won him the European and Belgian Championships. "I just need to recharge physically and mentally, reset my body, and load up on carbs to go all out again," he explains. But the gold medal? That won't be in the cards. "Van der Poel is on another level right now. The more people speculate things like, ‘In his Belgian Championship and Benidorm form, maybe Thibau can challenge Mathieu or get close,’ the more likely we are to see the real Mathieu at the World Championship. For me, the podium is the best I can aim for."

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