We are gradually preparing for a very interesting weekend in crossland. On Saturday there will be the World Cup Cross in Antwerp, the next day the fight for the same classification will take place in Koksijde. Can Thibau Nys repeat his feat from last week in Namur?
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Nothing to prove
Nys put Mathieu van der Poel on fire there. Paul Herygers also enjoyed the performance of the – still – youngster. According to him, he has made a statement with this: “I have seen enough. He doesn’t have to prove anything anymore to me,” it sounds.
It even encourages Herygers to make a bold statement: “It was of course an excellent opportunity, but I think it would have been 50/50 for the victory. He is doing very well, and I dare to think that he will one day win more titles than his father,” he noted at Wielerflits.
At the same time, Herygers warns against too high expectations. He also saw that Namur was an ideal course for Nys, but that will be less the case in the coming weeks, he believes: “Let us not expect too much in the coming weeks. I think we may talk less highly about Nys after next weekend.”
Herygers clarifies that he absolutely does not mean this negatively. Nys has made visible progress, but should not rush anything: “His time will come and the future will smile on him, but he must now make sure that he does not burn his fingers with Mathieu. But he can already show flashes.”
Nys creates new status
Erwin Vervecken also thoroughly enjoyed the duel in Namur: “How long has it been since we saw someone duel so fiercely against Mathieu in the cross, not including Wout van Aert?” he rightly points out. “Although I don’t know if he could have beaten Mathieu, but this does give him options.”
That question will remain unanswered, but Nys’ status has also received a new boost for Vervecken: “What he has done is very impressive. There is already a big difference with a year ago, when he was even more inconsistent. If he can continue to follow that line, it will sooner or later be rewarded.”
