Thibau Nys is one of the most famous young riders in the cycling peloton. The Lidl-Trek driver partly owes this to his famous father, but also to his own good performances on the road and in the field.
But that celebrity also has its disadvantages. In the podcast Gossip Guy he lashed out at the Flemish press because his words are often twisted. “I think it’s a shame, because I am always very open to journalists,” said the 21-year-old rider.
Rotten apples
“I am always very honest and am always ready to speak to them after a good or bad result. They know that too and they appreciate it, which is mutual. I have a lot of respect for them, but the sensational journalists are the bad apples in the whole story.”
“They can create an image, while you are not like that at all. In the racing world I have a fairly outspoken personality compared to other modest riders and that may slow it down, because you no longer dare to say anything wrong.”
“I am the fastest Belgian”
Nys then also cited a concrete example of what exactly he meant. “Two years ago I was selected for the European Championship on the road with the promises. I had not yet proven much and I was asked about my role within the Belgian selection.”
“I said that I was given a free role, that I could help my teammates where necessary, but if push came to shove, my card would be drawn in the sprint. In our ‘climbing team’ I was the fastest, but I didn’t say from all of Belgium or from everyone. The next day the newspaper said ‘Thibau Nys: ‘I am the fastest Belgian’.”
“There were hundreds of negative reactions, but that’s how it happens every day. I try to counter that by reporting the articles on Facebook, but that has no effect. You simply can’t do anything about it.”
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