“Give Mathieu those five seconds and you won't see him again for the rest of the race”: Thibau Nys has won the European title, but he can't stop thinking about Van der Poel

Thibau Nys has just won his second European Cyclocross Championship at only 23 years old, but his ambition goes far beyond accumulating victories. The Belgian acknowledges that he still lacks something to reach the dominance that Mathieu van der Poel has demonstrated for years, and after winning in Zeddam, he explained what sets the Dutchman apart from the rest of the riders.

Nys wants to win like Van der Poel, but admits he is still far from his level of dominance

Last Sunday, Thibau Nys was crowned European Cyclocross Champion 2026 after a race where he had to wait until the last lap to shake off Joran Wyseure. His attack on the 99-step staircase of the Zeddam circuit ultimately decided a race that allowed him to reclaim the continental title he won in 2024.

However, while celebrating the victory, Nys was already thinking about what he still needs to improve.

"Right now, on the podium, part of me was happy with what I had already achieved, while the other was already thinking about what I could do better", the Belgian explained in statements to Het Nieuwsblad.

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His reflection relates to a difference that he himself identifies between his performance and that of Mathieu van der Poel: the ability to open a small gap and turn it into a definitive breakaway, even when there are still many laps to go.

"Where can I find those extra percentages? Why can't I just keep riding alone from the fourth lap? In that fourth lap, for example, I unexpectedly gained a small advantage, but I immediately felt that I didn't have the legs to stay alone at the front for the rest of the race."

It was then that he referred to the example of the eight-time world champion. "Give Mathieu those five seconds and you won't see him again for the rest of the race. That's what I also want to achieve, although I don't know if I will ever be able to do it."

The comparison does not come from just any rider. Nys finished second in the overall standings of last season's Cyclocross World Cup, precisely behind Van der Poel, and achieved five victories during the winter, three of them in World Cup events.

But the Belgian distinguishes between having the ability to win races and being able to resolve them with the superiority that the Dutchman has so often exhibited.

"I felt really good, but not enough to break away for six or seven laps"

Nys also analyzed in statements to WielerFlits how he managed the European race. Despite his good feelings, he knew that trying to break away too early could end up hurting him.

"I felt really good, but not enough to go off alone for six or seven laps. So it was a bit of a trial-and-error process, trying to see where I could open a gap to then really explode in the last lap."

The main obstacle was his own teammate, Joran Wyseure, who resisted his attempts to distance himself until the last minutes.

"Joran was riding at a very high pace and was simply able to maintain a strong rhythm. In that sense, he was perhaps slightly stronger than me, but I had that extra explosiveness in the last lap".

Nys ultimately found the opportunity at one of the most demanding points of the course. "We're really talking about details, but I did feel, especially in the penultimate lap, that I perhaps had a bit more reserve on those stairs to attack there in the last lap. And in the end, I managed to do it".

Nys's challenge comes in a winter where Van der Poel could be absent

The cyclocross season has started particularly well for Nys. After a difficult road season due to a knee operation, he has returned to the mud with two victories in his first two participations: the Koppenbergcross and the European Championship.

Now he has the rest of the winter ahead and the World Championship at the end of January, where he could face some of the top figures in the discipline again.

The uncertainty remains with Mathieu van der Poel. As we have already reported, the Dutchman is considering not competing in the 2026-2027 cyclocross season, a possibility he has not yet ruled out and which would leave the main competitions without their great dominator of recent years.

For Nys, however, the reference remains the same. At 23 years old, he has already achieved two European titles and has established himself among the best specialists in the world, but his own words make it clear that his goal is not only to keep winning. He wants to reach that level where a five-second lead is enough for his rivals not to see him again until the finish line.