‘Cross’s Top dog: A conversation with Sven Nys
You have to appreciate the matter-of-fact frankness of Sven Nys. With the 2007-2008 cyclocross World Cup set to commence Sunday in Kalmthout, the Belgian has set a simple but lofty season-long goal. “It is nothing special, I just want to be the best rider of season,” said the Rabobank rider during an exclusive interview with VeloNews at his modest two-story home in Baal. “That is my goal every year. I don’t have one important race. For me every race is important. That’s how people know me – I am good from the first race to the last and I try to win every time.” Of course even the
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By Jason Sumner, VeloNews.com
Photo: Jason Sumner
You have to appreciate the matter-of-fact frankness of Sven Nys. With the 2007-2008 cyclocross World Cup set to commence Sunday in Kalmthout, the Belgian has set a simple but lofty season-long goal.
“It is nothing special, I just want to be the best rider of season,” said the Rabobank rider during an exclusive interview with VeloNews at his modest two-story home in Baal. “That is my goal every year. I don’t have one important race. For me every race is important. That’s how people know me – I am good from the first race to the last and I try to win every time.”
Of course even the indomitable Nys can’t win them all. In fact his failures at world championships past – his only rainbow jersey as an elite came in 2005 – are as well documented as his death grip on nearly all the discipline’s other important titles. A year ago Nys cruised to the overall World Cup title, winning seven of 11 races, while no one else took more than one. In the important Superprestige series Nys was even better, pulling off an eight-race sweep.
Six months later not much has changed. Nys already has three wins this season, including last weekend’s Superprestige opener in Ruddervoorde where the 31-year-old out-kicked Czech Zdenek Stybar (Fidea) to extend his series win streak.
Photo: Jason Sumner
Next up is Kalmthout, a venue American pro Tim Johnson called the “Rose Bowl of cyclocross.” While Nys may not know anything about the California college football shrine, he says Kalmthout is one of his favorite races, and explained exactly how he planned on winning there.
Here’s his World Cup opener game plan, plus an update on his pursuit of Olympic mountain biking glory.
VeloNews: Give us a preview of what to expect at Kalmthout.Sven Nys: Because it’s in the beginning of the season it’s usually a really fast race. The track is in the woods with small corners and lots of places for explosive attacks. For me it’s a very difficult race because everybody is looking to me and they know that I am going to attack two laps before the finish. Still somehow I win every year in the same way. They can’t beat me.
Photo: Jason Sumner
VN: Who do you see as you main challengers going into this season?SN: It’s the same guys from the last few years – [Bart] Wellens, [reigning world champion Erwin] Vervecken, maybe a few others. There are also a few new young guys that have a lot of talent. Lars Boom who won the world championship in under-23 time trial. He’s on my team and is very good. Then we have Neils Albert. He lives just a few blocks from here. He is also very good. There is also Stybar who was under-23 cyclocross champion in 2006. Those are the three guys with big futures. But are they good enough to beat me? That is another question. I don’t know. But I know I am very good so we will just have to see.
VN: How about American riders Jonathan Page and Ryan Trebon? Do they concern you at all?SN: Yes for sure. To be second at the world championship [as Page was in 2007] means you are a good rider. Now he has a good team behind him, and he lives in Belgium so he can learn what he needs to know. Ryan is also spending more time in Belgium, and I think when the Americans are coming more and more to Belgium, they see what I must do, they must do the races in Europe. In Belgium more and more people speak about the American riders.
VN: You are trying to make the 2008 Belgian Olympic team in mountain biking. Where do things stand?SN: I am qualified, but right now our biggest problem is the United States. They are standing sixth in the overall country rankings not so many points behind [Belgium in fifth]. The first five countries get three riders, so right now we have three riders. But it is dangerous for me because I am the third rider behind Roel Paulissen and Filip Meirhaeghe.
VN: If you do make the Olympics, what’s the goal for Beijing?SN: At first it was just a dream to be an Olympian, but of course you start with something and then see what could be possible. At the [mountain bike] world championships this year I was 16th. That’s not bad and I think the race in Beijing is more a cyclocross type race – not really technical and steep, so maybe something can happen. If I make it [to China] I will try my best and then we will see what happens.
Note: Check back with VeloNews.com this weekend for excerpts from an at-home interview with last year’s world championship runner-up, American Jonathan Page. We’ll also have full reports, results and photos from the first two rounds of the cyclocross World Cup, October 21 in Kalmthout, Belgian and October 27 in Tabor, Czech Republic.
