'I don’t see myself as the saviour of cyclocross' - Thibau Nys warns he cannot replace Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert
23-year-old Belgian star makes his debut at the Koppenbergcross after just three weeks of specific training.
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Thibau Nys makes his cyclocross debut at Sunday's Koppenbergcross race, elevating the winter sport to a new level, but don't expect Nys to 'save' cyclocross.
In the absence of Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert, Nys is considered the standout star of the sport, the best Belgian, whose talents span from WorldTour road racing with Lidl-Trek to winning on the Flemish cobbles and mud of the Koppenberg.
Van Aert has hinted he will race cyclocross, probably during the Christmas racing period, but van der Poel will become a father in January and so could decide to focus fully on his 2027 road season. For now Nys has to carry the burden as cyclocross's biggest star, even if he doesn't want to.
"I don’t see myself as the saviour of cyclocross,” Nys told several Flemish media during an open training session as he tapered for his cyclocross debut at the weekend.
"It is something I want to stand for and fight for, but I’m certainly not going to solve it alone."
The 23-year-old Nys is part of the new generation of cyclocross riders. His career is rooted in the sport thanks to the legacy and support of his father Sven.
Interest in cyclocross is falling, as van der Poel and van Aert race less and less but Nys offers some glamour and bling, attracting younger fans because of his pedigree, his style of racing and his lifestyle so often shared on social media.
"We have seen exciting races so far, but we are looking for personalities a bit, aren’t we? Just like Mathieu and Wout, Eli Iserbyt used to be. Men who have a story that can give cyclocross extra cachet," Sven Nys told Het Laatste Nieuws.
Nys is arguably the only rider who can take on van der Poel and Van Aert if and when they race.
“That offers perspective for the future," Sven Nys suggested.
"No one can predict that, and I won’t try either. But ultimately, the goal is to be able to go into a duel at some point and really fight such a battle to the finish line."
Nys will make his season debut at the Koppenbergcross and has been selected for the Belgian squad for the European Championships the week after in the Netherlands.
Last year he won the Koppenbergcross after a nine-week block of cyclocross training. This year he had just three weeks after riding for Belgium at the Montreal World Championships and 12 days off the bike and a holiday in Japan. Nys rode for just 30 days with Lidl-Trek.
A knee injury delayed his debut and meant he missed the Giro d'Italia. He finished the Vuelta a España and was third on two stages but did not win a race in 2026.
"A year ago I had a lot of self-confidence. I knew everything was going to be fine. That is completely different now, but it was also factored in. I am where I wanted to be given the circumstances and am satisfied with my form" Nys explained, able to build on the base the Vuelta gave him.
"Because everything had to be crammed into three weeks, I was unable to do quite a few important training sessions. We’ll just have to make do with it and hope it’s enough."
Nys has already won the Koppenbergcross twice and seems suited to the race that climbs the famous cobbled lane used in the Tour of Flanders and other Classics.
"On the Koppenberg, I cannot be happy with a podium finish," he said, true to character and the reason why the cyclocross season is about to step up a level.
