Thibau Nys gets French motto tattooed on his belly, sends strong message ahead of cyclo-cross season

We will see Nys in action for the first time in cyclo-cross on November 1 in the Koppenbergcross, so there was work to be done. The top talent from Lidl-Trek and the Baloise Glowi Lions headed to Spain, where he cycled up the Coll de Rates several times in less-than-ideal weather conditions. The popular training climb in southwestern Spain was utterly empty, according to Nys' caption.

In addition to a Spanish training camp, Nys did a lot more in the weeks leading up to the cyclo-cross season. He was seen in the sand, wearing his European champion jersey, improving his peak power in a 1- and 5-minute effort and accompanying those figures with a quote from basketball legend Michael Jordan: "It starts with hard work, it ends with champagne."

In between all the training, he had time for a new addition to his clothing line, he showed off his golfing skills in his own garden, and he visited the tattoo shop for a new tattoo. His arms were already quite full, so Nys opted for a large tattoo on his belly. "La tête et les jambes" was inscribed, which translates as "The head and the legs".

Nys will likely need both, given his ambitions for the future, as indicated by his Instagram post. Last winter, he became Belgian and European champion in cyclo-cross, and he finished third in the World Championships, behind Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert. In total, he won five races and stood on the podium ten times.