Thibau Nys scores his first Men Elite World Cup victory in Waterloo

Thibau Nys breaks his duck. For the first time in his career, the Belgian took victory in the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup for Men Elite in Waterloo. With the help of his technical skills and a shoe problem for Eli Iserbyt, Nys completed a fine solo.

European champion Michael Vanthourenhout had the best start in this round of the World Cup in the United States. His teammate Eli Iserbyt followed in his wake and very quickly took over the lead himself. Iserbyt clearly had strong legs and he immediately upped the pace. At the end of the first round, only two riders remained in his wheel: Baloise Trek Lions teammates Thibau Nys and Pim Ronhaar.

The two tried to play the team game, forcing Iserbyt to close a number of gaps. Iserbyt had the legs, but his right shoe did not cooperate. After a shoe change, he had to make up about twenty seconds. Upfront, Thibau Nys was showcasing his technical skills. He rode with nerve, dropped Ronhaar and embarked on his handsome solo on the fourth lap.

In the chase, Iserbyt managed to catch and pass Ronhaar. The rider from team Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal seemed for a brief moment to be closing on Nys, but shortly afterwards the gap started to widen again. The final lap was a victory lap for Nys. The young Belgian realised he was on his way to his very first World Cup victory in the Men Elite category. Iserbyt had to settle for second place. Pim Ronhaar, with third place, made the celebration for the Baloise Trek Lions complete.