Eurosport analysts skeptical about Thibau Nys's next move: 'Not like the real cyclocross riders'

The 23-year-old has already been crowned European champion once and has won several World Cup races. But on the road, things were a lot tougher this year.

“He just had a crappy season,” Bobbie Traksel said bluntly on the Kop over Kop podcast. “It wasn’t a choice; it was just a string of misfortunes from all sides that made it a really rough year for him. But I’m actually glad about it, because it means he’ll have a fuller winter schedule.”

In 2024, Nys shone with eight victories, including stages in the Tour of Poland, the Tour de Suisse, and the Tour de Romandie. In 2025, he won only once, but the 2026 road season was very disappointing, mainly due to a lingering knee injury and subsequent surgery. He did, however, compete in the Vuelta a España, where he once again showed flashes of his class.

But whether the Belgian will truly make the leap to the very top this cyclocross season depends on many factors. “Will he do better in the sand?” Jeroen Vanbelleghem wondered out loud.

“Is that just in his head? His father says it in interviews: the sand isn’t his best friend just yet. If you bring that up again now, it’s sure to get into his head. And the World Championships are in Ostend,” the analyst says, referring to the sandy course on the coast.

Thijs van Amerongen doesn’t think Nys will make a big leap right away. “Because of the road racing schedule, he may not have been able to do enough preparation for cyclocross. He started racing too soon. In the summer, he doesn’t ride figure-eights through the sand, like the real cyclocross riders do. You mainly develop that finesse in training. But once the season has started, it’s hard to work on your weak spots anymore.'

This winter, he’ll be racing again for Baloise - Het Poetsbureau Lions, his dad Sven’s cyclocross team. It’s not yet clear how long he’ll be racing there. Lidl-Trek has decided that its riders must make a choice. “It’s understandable,” says Traksel. “Lidl and Trek jointly cover the expenses for the cyclocross riders on the Golazo team. But of course, that team isn’t limited to his son, so it remains an important cyclocross team.”

Lucinda Brand decided to leave Lidl-Trek so she could continue cyclocross racing with Nys Sr.’s team. Nys Jr. is facing a similar decision. Another option would be for him to find a new team that’s a bit more laid-back. “That could be a solution—finding another team that gives him that freedom. But it could cause quite a storm for Thibau Nys,” Traksel concludes.