Sven Nys puts Thibau’s Benidorm win into perspective: "Wout van Aert is no longer really a cyclo-cross rider"

It’s been a great few weeks to be part of the Nys family. Over the past two weeks, Thibau Nys has claimed both the Belgian National Championship and the World Cup cyclo-cross race in Benidorm, Spain, much to the delight of his father, Sven. The manager of Baloise Glowi Lions also sees positive signs in other riders, including Lars van der Haar, Pim Ronhaar and Lucinda Brand. IDLProCycling.com caught up with him after the Benidorm race for an interview.

Thibau delivered an impressive performance on the Costa Blanca, turning the Benidorm World Cup into another victory in his already successful cyclo-cross season, which includes wins at both the European and Belgian National Championships. Father Sven can also take pride as team manager, with Brand leading in all classifications and the Dutch duo Van der Haar and Ronhaar showing flashes of brilliance. Despite some ups and downs, the highs have more than outweighed the lows.

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Sven Nys interview after Benidorm World Cup

Sven, who surprised you more in Benidorm — Thibau with his win or Lars finishing third?

"Both, for sure. It’s not just about being in great shape; in this race, it was also about being in the right place at the right time. That was crucial, and both of them were simply very, very strong."

Thibau beat Wout van Aert for the first time. Is that a milestone or not really?

"On one hand, I think it’s important to put that into perspective: Wout is no longer really a cyclo-cross rider. His program is very limited and highly specific. In these kinds of races, he’ll always struggle more compared to dedicated cyclo-cross riders. The constant turning and twisting, that's something very different. Put him in Dendermonde, and he’d still win there five years from now, but this is something else entirely.

We knew there were opportunities here. If Thibau had a good day, something was definitely possible. We told him that, and it turned out to be true."

The extra power Thibau showed on the uphill asphalt section, does that come from his road racing experience?

"Not necessarily. I think it’s more about the solid combination of intensity during the Christmas period and now having built a foundation and volume. Occasionally, we add a little extra stimulus, but at this point in the winter, you’re not going to gain or lose that extra edge. The risk now is overdoing it, which could mean he doesn’t reach the World Championships at this level.

We need to be cautious now, because he's not going to be improving much anymore. And Thibau is good now. Whether he can do something special at the World Championships will depend on the weather. If it’s tough, really tough conditions that require constant pushing and shoving, he might lack that absolute power compared to someone like Mathieu van der Poel. Those kinds of races are still a bit less suited to him."

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Thibau waited until the last two laps to attack in Benidorm. Does that show he’s becoming more mature in cyclo-cross? He could have attacked earlier, knowing Wout van Aert was behind.

"I think he definitely has the ability to read a race. First of all, you need to be in good form to do that, and second, we constantly drill that into him. The trick is to stay calm in those circumstances because when you have good legs, you’re always tempted to show them. But that’s not always the right strategy.

You can test the waters with a few small attacks to see who cracks and who doesn’t, but once you have that knowledge, you need to use it in the final lap. He did that very well here, just like at the Belgian National Championships."

Lars finished third. After a tough period, that must feel good.

"He struggled after the Christmas period. I think he relies more on faster races, and with the weather conditions we’ve had, there haven’t been many of those. After the Dutch National Championships, he went to Spain and trained well in the sun. Thibau had already noticed Lars was feeling good. Being on the podium here makes a big difference compared to finishing fourth. Especially for him. As a team, we’re very happy to have two riders on the podium just one week after the championships."

What’s it like being both Thibau’s father and the team manager of Baloise Glowi Lions right now?

"I’m very proud, in every way, both as a father and as the team manager. We try to keep our feet on the ground, because sport can be tough. Besides Thibau and Lars, Lucinda is also doing very well. She’s ready for the World Championships, as we saw here in Benidorm. Pim crashed here while feeling great, but I think he’s in really good shape and just needs the right circumstances. We have strong cards to play and have started the year beautifully."

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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