Thibau Nys faced a setback just two weeks before the Cyclo-Cross World Championships due to illness, forcing him to miss the Maasmechelen World Cup and withdraw from the race at Hoogerheide the next day. However, he bounced back in Liévin on Sunday, putting himself in contention for a podium finish.
Although Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel and Belgian teammate Wout van Aert—who have claimed 10 of the last 11 world titles—broke away at the front, Nys battled hard against Joris Nieuwenhuis of the Netherlands to secure the bronze medal in the elite men’s race.
Having already won world cyclo-cross titles at both the junior and under-23 levels, the Belgian reached a new milestone by earning his first elite medal behind two of the sport’s biggest names.
“I had a challenging two weeks, but I knew that if I could perform at my usual level, a podium finish was within reach. I believe I managed last week well, giving my body the necessary rest. As a result, I was back to riding at my best today.
“Wout [Van Aert] didn’t get the start he wanted, and from there, everyone settled into their own rhythm, as it was difficult to focus on others on that course.
“When Wout overtook me, I struggled a bit with choosing the right lines and timing my bike change. But at a certain point, I felt my pace was slightly stronger than Joris [Nieuwenhuis’], which allowed me to gain an advantage.”
“I believe I attacked at just the right moment, using the climb to create a gap between us.”
Nys feels that another road season will aid his development and hopes to take a significant step forward in closing the gap to Van der Poel, who secured his seventh world title, equaling Erik De Vlaeminck’s record for the most men’s World Championship wins.
The young Belgian has already demonstrated his ability to challenge the best, having defeated Van Aert with a powerful last-lap attack at the Benidorm World Cup just weeks before the championships. However, he acknowledges that there is still a considerable gap between him and Van der Poel.
“I know I can improve a lot in the coming years and make significant progress,” said the 22-year-old.
“I believe my road season will be a big advantage in that process. There’s still quite a large gap to close.”
“In recent races, it’s clear that he still has a lot of work ahead to close the gap with Mathieu [Van der Poel].”
Looking Ahead to the 2025 Road Season
Thibau Nys is preparing for his Grand Tour debut this season and is already targeting a stage win at the Tour de France.
Last year, the 22-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough road season with Lidl-Trek, winning every stage race he entered—amassing eight professional victories overall—and clinching the overall title at the Tour of Hungary.
After a successful season in smaller stage races last year, Nys is preparing to make his Grand Tour debut in 2025, aiming for a spot in the Tour de France. However, he confirmed at training camp in January that the Vuelta a España remains another option.
The Belgian has targeted stage two of the Tour de France, which features a challenging finish with a steep climb to Boulogne-sur-Mer, and he sees stage seven atop the Mûr-de-Bretagne as another potential opportunity.
“I’ll be riding in some Ardennes classics as well as my first Grand Tour,” Nys said after the Cyclo-Cross Worlds. “I just hope to take my performance to the next level compared to last season. I won quite a bit on the road last year, and now I want to replicate that success in the bigger races. The Tour de France might be on the cards, but nothing’s set in stone yet.”
“It will definitely be a learning curve, but I’m aiming to achieve a real result, not just gain experience. The competition is incredibly tough and the opportunities are significant, so you need to be fully prepared to win, not just participate.
“Stage two seems like the perfect chance,” he said, half-jokingly. “I’ll just try to perform at my best and see how it unfolds. It might be too early, or it could be the perfect moment—we’ll have to wait and see.”