Nys hopes to compete occasionally with Van Aert and Van der Poel in cyclocross: "And become a regular in the top five"

For Thibau Nys, 2023 was a year to remember. The 20-year-old son of former top cyclocross rider Sven Nys secured his first professional victory in June, and not long after, claimed his second win. The talented rider from Lidl-Trek can look back on an excellent year, which is far from over for him. In cyclocross, Nys also hopes to make a significant impact. In early September, the likable Flemish cyclist took the time for a chat with IDLProCycling.com!

By the end of April, Nys was already close to his first victory among the pros: in the first stage of the Tour de Romandie, he lost the sprint only to Ethan Vernon. He also had to settle for second place in the final stage of the Tour of Hungary. But it was during the second stage of the Tour of Norway that he finally got it right: Nys sprinted to victory, finishing ahead of competitors like Magnus Sheffield and Jordi Meeus. Another powerful victory soon followed when Nys triumphed in the GP Kanton Aargau, beating top-class riders like Marc Hirschi and Pello Bilbao. "I could have won more, but on the other hand, I could also be sitting here without any wins," he said at the ibis Styles Lorient Caudan, where we spoke to him the day before the Bretagne Classic - Ouest-France. "The victory in Switzerland was the most beautiful for me, but I will also never forget the first one. I would have certainly signed up for a season like this."

At the World Cycling Championships in Glasgow, Nys, who shows himself to be quite talkative in the interview, was the absolute top favorite in the U23 category. However, due to 'tactical errors,' he was left empty-handed (read: a 27th place). "I was somewhat disappointed because I felt I still had to bring out my best legs to reach the final," he said at the time. Even in western France, he mentions that he was in top form heading towards the World Championships. "And I wanted to continue that form into the Renewi Tour. But it just didn't really work out. Sometimes I didn't assert my position enough; other times I simply didn't have the legs."

"I don't really understand where it comes from," the cheerful rider continues his account. "Nothing came out of the training data either. I was also recording very good values. So I'm left with some questions regarding the past weeks." In both the Breton race and the Super 8 Classic, what usually counts as his last road race of the season, Nys was recorded as DNF (Did Not Finish), confirming his doubts.

You think you're in good shape, but it doesn't show in the races: it could unnerve many professional cyclists (or amateur riders). However, Nys remains remarkably calm, even in light of the World Championships disappointment, which comes up again. "I think I even had my best day of the year that day. I had the legs I wanted to have, but then everything went differently. In retrospect, I never felt that I should have done something differently, so that helps," he explains his mental resilience. "But it is, of course, an opportunity that won't come back. On the other hand, if my career depends on a U23 world title... At least I hope it won't depend on that because that would be a bad sign," he says, laughing.

Nys says that 2023 was an enlightening year and that the educational road season will help him significantly both in cyclocross and in preparation for 2024. "I'm convinced that this season has made me better in various ways. I've made significant strides mentally, but also in terms of training. Moreover, I now know better how to prepare for important races. The completed altitude training has also helped me. But even during the races, I'm approaching things differently now," he says enthusiastically.

Lidl-Trek, Nys' American team, has been particularly active in the transfer market in recent weeks. Among others, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Jonathan Milan and Sam Oomen have joined the team. Will anything specifically change for Nys in this context? "I honestly don't know. I'll just try to compete in the races that suit me. As far as I know, not much should change for me. I'm a rider who can perform well on a wide variety of courses. But next year will still be about exploration, growth and self-development for me. Next year might be a good time to see if a grand tour is for me. All signs were pointing in the right direction this year. As long as I don't run into too much bad luck in cyclocross, the lights are still green," he says.

On October 8, Nys, who was crowned U23 World Champion in cyclocross on February 4, 2023, will ride his first cyclocross race of the season: the Exact Cross Beringen. The versatile man from Bonheiden intends to place himself among the world's best cyclocross riders more than once. "Of course, I'm now competing in the elite category, so I'm curious. But I believe that the steps I took this summer will become evident this winter," he says, not hiding his self-confidence. "I hope to compete with the very best. Winning will still be difficult, but reaching the finals should definitely be possible. I would like to establish myself as a regular presence in the top five. And perhaps, in the cyclocross races that really suit me, I might even aim for a podium finish," he refers to the races with a lot of elevation changes and where a good amount of technique is an advantage.

In the field, Nys will regularly encounter superstars like Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, Laurens Sweeck, Eli Iserbyt, Lars van der Haar, and Michael Vanthourenhout as a member of the Baloise Trek Lions team. "When Mathieu and Wout are at the starting line, it obviously becomes a different story. But the advantage of cyclocross is that you can always do your own thing. That's why I'm so excited. I'll also ride a comprehensive program, with more than twenty cyclocross races. However, we still have to finalize the details. I expect to race only two events on a few weekends. So it's really going to be a balanced program, which will, for instance, allow me to start altitude training well-rested. Racing twenty cyclocross events might seem like a lot, but it's spread over a long period (October to February). If Wout and Mathieu, for example, race twelve, it's within a much shorter timeframe."

Does Nys also have certain (side) classifications in mind for cyclocross? "Not necessarily," he says candidly. "I think I'll mainly participate in World Cup races. Pursuing a cyclocross classification is difficult to combine with the road season. And since the Superprestige and the X2O even have races deep into February, it's simply not possible. Moreover, I won't be racing all the World Cup events, although there are several guys with that plan. It would be nice if it happens, but it's not a priority."

To conclude the interview, IDLProCycling.com was curious about when Nys would consider his own cyclocross season as 'successful'. "If I manage to win a highly-regarded classification race," he states clearly. "But the rest of the season must also be consistent, of course," he clarifies with a smile.