Cyclist Thibau Nys has reflected on his performance at the World Championships, admitting to sleepless nights and addressing the criticism that followed the race.
The 2025–2026 racing calendar marks a distinct transition for the Belgian rider, who will scale back his winter appearances to 17 or 18 cyclo-cross events while balancing ongoing commitments on the road with Lidl-Trek. According to details released by Sporza, Nys has officially scheduled his season debut for November 1 at the Koppenbergcross, setting the stage for a busy block that includes the European Championships in Tabor on November 8.
Sleepless Nights After Montréal
Nys acknowledged that the fallout from the world championship road race lingered far longer than a standard post-race recovery. Despite entering the Belgian national selection with high expectations, the race dynamics quickly dismantled his chances of making an impact deep into the finale.
“Yes, to be honest, I’ve lost some sleep over it,” Nys told Wielernieuws. “Because it didn’t bring what I expected of it myself.”
When questioned about the heavy scrutiny from analysts and fans following the event, Nys defended his position by pointing to the sheer brutality of the race’s selection process. He argued that singling out his performance ignored how the race unfolded for the majority of the peloton.
“I didn’t bother me. I understood the criticism,” Nys said. “But then we had to question everything and everyone, I think.”
An Exceptional and Brutal Race Dynamics
Detailing the turning point of the world championship race, Nys pointed to the decisive accelerations launched by Mathieu van der Poel. According to the Belgian rider, the pace carved through the field so aggressively that only the absolute elite remained at the front.
“Of course I expected myself deeper in the finale,” Nys explained. “But in an absurd, crazy race like this, the entire midfield was skipped. The moment Mathieu van der Poel accelerated a second time and I was driven out, literally barely twenty riders survived. The twenty best of the World Championships, exclusively team leaders. I didn’t belong there that day. Simple. But I was far from the only one, hey.”
Following the physical and mental toll of the event in Canada, Nys took time to disconnect entirely from the sport. He and his partner, Anna Eikendal, traveled to Tokyo for a quiet city trip centered around local food, shopping, and automotive culture.
“It turned out to be a nice, but quiet city trip,” Nys said. “We hung around a bit, ate well, shopped, did things we liked. The car meeting where locals showed their car, you could ride with them and you felt like you were in Fast & Furious, I laughed.”
A Trimmed Cyclo-Cross Calendar
With his reset in Japan behind him, Nys is preparing for a modified cyclo-cross campaign. Sporza reported that the Belgian rider has trimmed his schedule compared to the previous winter, where he started 21 races. This season, his program lists 18 confirmed dates, alongside three pending appearances in Besançon, Diegem, and Hamme.
The winter schedule begins on November 1 at the Koppenbergcross, moves through the European title race on November 8, and stretches to the Tabor World Cup on November 29. Nys will then pause his cross commitments for an intensive training camp designed to build endurance for the congested Christmas period and the spring road campaign.
“That training work must prepare me for the packed Christmas period, the championships and the spring,” Nys noted, emphasizing that his commitment to the discipline remains absolute despite the reduced start count. “I certainly don’t see this as a preparation for the road. The cross is still too important to me.”
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