Defending Belgian Cyclo-Cross National Champion Thibau Nys has recognised that he is in a strong position to repeat his title on Sunday, but he is refusing to be complacent despite the odds in his favour.
Last year, Nys conquered his first senior National Title at Heusden-Zolder with an impressive solo victory ahead of Laurens Sweeck and Toon Aerts.
Safety concerns following heavy snowfall in northern Europe have meant this Sunday's course in Beringen will have one climb removed, and Nys was unable to do a planned recon on Wednesday, swapping for the rollers.
But as Nys told Het Nieuwsblad, the course is one which he knows and likes. Furthermore, even if he has had a slight drop-off of power in his recent races, overall, he's been very consistent this winter, and that's the most important ingredient when it comes to adding a second Belgian Nationals victory to his palmares.
"Perhaps" was how the 23-year-old responded when asked if he considered himself top favourite, pointing out that "I don't think another Belgian has yet achieved five victories this winter.
"But decided? Quite a few riders will make it very difficult for me on Sunday."
As for whom they would be, the Lidl-Trek racer agreed that the widely tipped Emiel Verstrynge could be a challenger, but then added, "But he's not the only one."
"I see five or six candidates for the title. And OK, some will have a higher percentage than others. But who can rule out that, for example, Joran Wyseure could become Belgian champion? I can't.
"I honestly think that the condition of the day will be decisive. But I also know: if I perform at the top of my ability, I don't think I'll be inferior to anyone."
Beringen is a course with which Nys is very familiar, saying that it was a better one for dropping the rest of the field than previous races this year at Heusden-Zolder and Dendermonde, held on fast and/or dry terrain.
As for Beringen, "That's definitely a potentially dangerous course. But it's also not impossible to make it safe for Sunday. And even if there are slippery sections that aren't being addressed, that's perfectly fine. It's still cyclo-cross.
"Of course, the goal isn't to break our necks. If the slope is frozen over, they'll obviously have to do something about that. But I'm talking about maybe three fifty-meter sections that they have to make sure are dry.
"Otherwise, I'd say: let nature take its course and stay off it as much as possible. If there's a patch of ice or snow somewhere, we'll just have to make the best of it."
While it's a sign of the standard that Nys sets himself that he sees five races as relatively low total, he insists he's been more consistent. At the same time, despite some lingering concerns about his form, globally, he's satisfied with his condition coming into one of the biggest high points of the cyclo-cross season.
"From the Christmas period onwards, I no longer had the power I'd hoped for. I'm not talking about results, but mainly about my feelings," he pointed out to Het Nieuwsblad.
"But given the rapid succession of cyclo-cross races during the Christmas period, that's not unusual. In that sense, I'm quite satisfied. I give my season a 7.5 to 8 out of 10.
"Which doesn't mean I wouldn't like to add another victory. And yes, that could be the Belgian title again. That's still more than just a victory."
