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Back problems drive Thibau Nys to despair, but he dominates again at U23 in Zonhoven: “Doubted to stop season”

© BELGIUM

Thibau Nys has scored a three out of three in the reserves in the World Cup. The Baloise Trek Lions rider soloed to victory and beat Witse Meeussen and the Dutchman Tibor del Grosso. This strengthens his leadership position. However, the son of cyclo-cross legend Sven Nys is struggling with persistent back problems: “To become distraught.”

Jeroen DePauw

In the World Cup, only five rounds are scheduled for the promises. After earlier victories in Tabor and Maasmechelen, Thibau Nys in Zonhoven was no match either. “Although I had to go deep for it,” he said afterwards. “This is not an easy race, you don’t just get the victory here. This victory is a boost after my lesser results in Koksijde and Baal. I now score three out of three and there are two more motos to go, but my lead is very big and you can miss one race according to the regulations. I may cancel the last round in Besançon, although that is not yet certain.”

The win in Zonhoven is a firm boost for Thibau Nys after a few difficult days. “I thought about stopping after Koksijde. This is a boost that I really needed”, he admitted in Zonhoven. In his own Baal at the Grand Prix Sven Nys – the competition named after his father – he did not finish and in Koksijde he crossed the line in 25th place among the professionals. In Zonhoven, Nys junior resurfaced. However, he had to pick himself up after a tumble in the iconic pit.

Nys dives into the sand. — © BELGIUM

Seated deep

Nys is struggling with back problems. They also popped up last year. “Of course I was a bit angry with myself. I’ve neglected my exercises a bit in the run-up to this season and I’m paying the price for that. Now I pay full attention to it, I get enough massages, I do stretching exercises and so on. I can’t blame myself at the moment, but I should have done more back exercises just before the season. That is a lesson I will take with me to next year. I am still young, I learn every day.”

In Zonhoven, Nys wore the leader’s jersey of the World Cup in the U23 category. — © BELGIUM

“It’s just annoying now,” he continues. “You can’t put your finger on when I will or won’t have any problems in a cross. Baal and Koksijde were terrible, today is going well.”

“After Koksijde I was really deep”, he admits honestly, “I was very demotivated. That back pain is distraught and I hesitated for a while to stop my season there. Just because I felt there was no point in continuing to cross like this. I felt it was better to focus on the road, on the spring, because every weekend that I ‘fuck up’ now is a weekend that I can use for the road season.”

© BELGIUM

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