Supreme Thibau ensures tenth victory in Koppenbergcross for dynasty Nys: “Dad and I have been talking about that for a long time”

With a demonstration to die for, Thibau Nys took his third victory of the season in Oudenaarde. In the Koppenbergcross, 20-year-old Nys rode away from the opposition in the first lap. He thus achieved a unique victory. “It was a battle with myself.”

“There is no better feeling than being able to win this type of competition,” said a happy Thibau Nys in front of the Sporza camera. “I have rarely experienced this. It was such a slow cross that it completely drained you. I had plenty of time to think and focus on myself. A very strange feeling. Sometimes it felt like I was driving around here alone.”

However, the start did not go well for Nys junior. He hit the swath and trudged to the left side of the climb. “It was really slippery on the cobblestones of the Koppenberg. I made the mistake of choosing a slightly less heavy tire profile and starting the race with a little too much pressure. That didn’t turn out well.”

But Nys did not let the poor start get to him. “I immediately started doing my thing and looked for a pace that I could maintain for the entire cross. There is very little interval possible here, but finding that limit is very difficult, because you always had to balance to stay upright. It was such a battle with myself.”

On to EC

With Thibau’s victory, the Nys dynasty now has a total of ten victories on the Koppenberg. Sven Nys has won no fewer than nine times, and now Thibau has also won there. “We talked about it for a long time, and now I finally did it. It’s fantastic that I can win here.”

Another challenge awaits on Sunday with the European Cyclo-Cross Championships in Pontchâteau. Nys starts as one of the big favorites after a new demonstration. “But I don’t want to think about that yet. Now I want to enjoy this victory. It’s been an incredible season so far. I’m going all-in anyway, but I wouldn’t mind if I didn’t win.”