Nys Brings Thibau Home After World Cup Norovirus Outbreak – Results

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The Belgian camp at the Cyclo-Cross World Championships in Hulst has been hit by a disease outbreak. Four riders did not start in Zeeland on Saturday, the rest of the riders were given the choice to sleep at home/somewhere else from Saturday to Sunday. The Nys family seized that opportunity with both hands, the rest followed.

Press release from Belgian Cycling, Saturday morning: ‘Zita Peeters (Women Juniors), Shanyl De Schoesitter (Women U23), Kay De Bruyckere (Men U23) and Julie Brouwers (Women Elite) will not be able to participate in the competitions at the Cyclocross World Championships in Hulst (Netherlands) this weekend due to illness.’

De Bruyckere, Peeters and Brouwers won bronze in the Mixed Relay on Friday, but the next day they were so ill that they could not ride. “The doctor thinks it is a viral infection,” said national coach Angelo De Clerc Sporza. ‘Unfortunately, Zita, Julie and Kay became ill last night. Shanyl was already sick and not yet at the hotel.’

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Belgian motocross riders are allowed to leave the World Cup hotel

De Clercq saw the seriousness of the situation and decided to give his entire selection the choice: stay in the hotel or go home and watch the World Cup match from there. ‘They can choose what they do. They can go home if they prefer,” he said. The Belgians convened a press conference with the elite women and men on Friday evening at the hotel in Sint-Niklaas.

Not only the Belgians are said to have been affected by this problem, but also the Luxembourg delegation in the same hotel in Sint-Niklaas. The Dutch sleep on the other side of the border and so far there have been no reports of acute illness there. Denise Betsema did not start with the elite women after she became ill at the beginning of this week.

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Thibau Nys

Thibau Nys is sent home by dad Sven

As the intended leader of the elite men’s team, Thibau Nys already took advantage of the option to return home. This was partly prompted by dad Sven, who was informed by his son on Saturday morning. ‘Thibau sent me a message this morning that the entire Team Relay squad was sick, or almost so. Then I asked what was going on and we gathered information.’

Nys senior further said to VTM and In de Leiderstrui: ‘Then the question quickly arose whether it would be possible to sleep at home, so as to avoid all risks. If it isn’t already too late. We then turned the switch from the exploration. Mechanics from our team then took him to Baal, where he received a massage and delicious food was prepared for him.’

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thibau-nys (1)

No new cases of illness in Belgium on Sunday of the World Cup

Nys, team boss of the Baloise Lions, could not provide a definitive answer about the disease outbreak, although it later turned out to be the very contagious Norovirus. ‘It went very quickly, when you see how many riders suddenly became nauseous. But I’m not a doctor so I can’t give my opinion on it. But you will experience it, for the most important day of the year. That’s a real shame.’

‘Thibau, however, can turn the switch and handles it well. You have to remain calm, you will gain experience in that,” Sven Nys further emphasized. ‘He’s actually doing very well. I saw him excel on the course in the reconnaissance and I think this course in Hulst suits him even better than in the World Cup. It’s been stretched out a little more and he’s ready to compete.”

A rumor that Niels Vandeputte would also not be fit was debunked by De Clercq. No new cases of illness were reported on Sunday morning.

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Aiko Tanaka

Aiko Tanaka is a combat sports journalist and general sports reporter at Archysport. A former competitive judoka who represented Japan at the Asian Games, Aiko brings firsthand athletic experience to her coverage of judo, martial arts, and Olympic sports. Beyond combat sports, Aiko covers breaking sports news, major international events, and the stories that cut across disciplines — from doping scandals to governance issues to the business side of global sport. She is passionate about elevating the profile of underrepresented sports and athletes.

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