Thibau Nys always saves his best for championships
Whenever there’s a jersey on the line, you’ll see the best of Thibau Nys.
The 22-year-old Belgian and European champion took third at World Championships in Liévin on Sunday. The only two riders who beat him were a pair of established legends — Mathieu van der Poel rode away early for his seventh World Championship, and Wout van Aert, a three-time World Champion, took second.
“You can’t compare it to gold,” Nys said after the race. “But it’s a really special one. Behind Wout and Mathieu, this was probably the best result possible, and it’s a big step in my career.”

Thibau (right) standing on his first elite Cyclocross World Championships podium. | BELGA PHOTO
For most of the race, Nys was locked in battle with former teammate and Dutchman Joris Nieuwenhuis. Both riders looked strong as they whittled away a large pack of riders who all had podium hopes. By the midpoint of the eight-lap race, it was a two-man fight for bronze. And at times, it looked like Nieuwenhuis might be the man to snap the elastic and ride away.
But when Nys makes a winning kick, there’s almost no one in the world who can follow him. Just like during his Belgian championship ride, he made his big acceleration on the penultimate lap, forcing a formerly well-metered Nieuwenhuis to scramble. Heading into the final lap, Nys had a 13-second gap. He held the competition off with relatively little threat to the finish.
“I think I’ve taken a step forward compared to last year. And I believe I can do the same again next year, so I’m really happy with how I feel,” Nys said. “It was great to finish the season like this.”

Thibau thrived in the cakey mud. | BELGA PHOTO / JASPER JACOBS
Nys’ podium capped a successful World Championships for the Baloise Glowi Lions. Lucinda Brand took second in the elite women’s race on Saturday in an all-time, back-and-forth battle. Nys’ elite men’s teammates Lars van der Haar and Pim Ronhaar took ninth and 21st, respectively. In the men’s under-23 race, 19-year-old Seppe Van Den Boer took fifth, while David Haverdings took 12th.
With the cyclocross season coming to a close, Nys can confidently say this was the best ‘cross season of his career. In addition to the two championships and World Champs podium, he also took his second career elite World Cup win, as well as wins in the X2O Trofee and Superprestige series. Nys racked up 10 podiums in total.
In the weeks leading up to World championships, Nys battled illness, which forced him to miss a World Cup start in Maasmechelen and pull out early in Hoogerheide. After the race, Thibau’s father Sven, a cyclocross legend who won two world championships himself, was proud of the effort his son gave.

The future is so bright for this young man. | BELGA PHOTO
“It’s a different kind of emotion than when you’re up there yourself,” Sven said. “This is your own blood, your son. You want everything for your kids, and this is one of those special moments.”
Thibau’s attention will soon turn to the road cycling season with Lidl-Trek. Last year, he was one of the sport’s breakout stars, with an electric finishing kick that led to eight stage victories and the general classification title at the Tour de Hongrie. During the 2024-25 cyclocross season, Nys consolidated that strength and progress, and showed he’s ready to become a force for years to come.