Thibau Nys's third World Cup victory of the season came with a confession: the rider long praised for his race-craft had begun questioning whether he still possessed it. "It's been a long time since I could finish it off like this," Nys said after seizing the sprint win at Dendermonde.
Those doubts evaporated on a bone-dry Dendermonde circuit bearing no resemblance to the mud-fest of previous years. Lap times dipped under five minutes and average speeds approached 30km/h. Del Grosso captured the mood pre-race: "It's like a crit race on grass."
Wout van Aert, a three-time winner here in very different circumstances, was less enthusiastic. "The track just contains too few natural obstacles," he said. "It will be really fast and it will come down to the details." Those details cost Van Aert dearly. Starting further back, he spent the opening half fighting through a tightly bunched field where passing opportunities were scarce.
By the time he reached the front after 36 minutes, he'd burned too many matches. A slip on the flyover and a tactical sit-up before the bell saw him shuffled back to sixth – where he finished.
Meanwhile, Nys executed a masterclass in energy management, sitting comfortably in the top five throughout. "It was all about getting as fresh as possible into the last laps," he explained. "I felt super, super strong and I felt in control. I think it was one of the strongest days of the season for me."
Del Grosso's costly flat
Del Grosso's challenge was compromised by a puncture with three laps remaining. The Dutch champion chased back furiously but paid the price in the finale. "I got a bit of an unfortunate flat and I was quite happy that I could come back into the race for the win," he said. "But you needed everything last lap and Thibau had a bit more."
When the bell rang, Sweeck led with Nys lurking behind. The decisive moment came on a short rise before the second pit – Nys attacked around the outside, gaining a crucial bike length heading into the final technical section where passing was nearly impossible. "I had to keep an eye on Laurens and on Tibor in the last lap because I knew they were going to be close," Nys said. "And then full sprint from the last technical part to the finish line."
That tailwind-assisted sprint saw Nys hold off Del Grosso by two seconds, with Sweeck third and Van Aert eighth. "To finish it off in this way – it's been my signature move from the past," Nys said. On Saturday, that signature was written clearly once again.
Cover image credit: Zac Williams/SWpix.com
