One goal: The World's

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Riding during the 2004 World's(Image credit: Luc Claessen)

An interview with Sven Nys, December 4, 2004

Two days after top cyclo-crosser Sven Nys achieved his 25th Superprestige race victory, Cyclingnews' Hedwig Kröner spoke to the relentless Rabobank rider on the phone at his home in Belgium. Of course, he sounded eager to win some more, especially bearing in mind the World Championships at the beginning of next year. He also talked about his dreams on the road, as well as showing his son Thibau, who just turned two, how to ride a BMX - because that's how it all started for Nys. Before winning cyclo-cross races, Nys won eight BMX National Championship titles, starting competition at eight years old!

Sven Nys: When you win, it's always a good race! But still, it was hard as it was raining the whole day. At the start, I left with Groenendaal and Commeyne, but after three laps, I was riding alone through the whole race. I was really strong that day. Bart Wellens crashed during the first lap and moved back to the front during the race, but it was impossible for him to come back all the way because I was riding with more than half a minute's lead.

SN: No, but I know the course very well from last year when I won it. It was extremely bad weather, very cold and raining the whole day. But I think it's a very nice race, a good race to win the World's. Very steep climbs, and you have to run up some stairs - I like it very much. I won my first World Championships in Germany in Munich, so maybe it's time now to win the World's a third time, now in the Elite category and also in Germany. I hope that I can do that.

SN: Most of the times I know before the race if I can do it or not. Sometimes you take the risk, sometimes it's better not to. But once you're in the race, with the adrenaline and all the people to support you, you decide to do it once or twice. It depends on the space between the barriers. If they're very close to one another, it's risky to stay on the bike. There are not too many races where it's possible to jump over the barriers - so sometimes I know before the race if it's possible, sometimes I take the risk.

Sven Nys: That's when I get in shape, it's the most important period to build up my condition. I try to stay healthy and do a lot of road racing. I usually start with the road racing at the beginning of June and then I don't stop anymore. So the only vacation I take is the month of March - I don't train, I don't do any sport at all. On April 1, I start to built up my condition again, and I don't stop until the end of the Cyclo-Cross season. That's a very long time, but if you don't train in the summer, you can't race so many races in winter at a top level.