Thibau Nys to Defend His Title at the Benidorm World Cup

As the road cycling season draws to a close, the time has come for the tarmac to give way to the fields and mud with the start of the 2025-2026 cyclocross campaign, the winter cycling specialty. Benidorm will once again host one of its most important events on January 18, with the tenth and penultimate round of the World Cup.

Looking ahead to this event, two major international figures have already confirmed their participation in the El Moralet and Foietes park circuit. The first to do so was Felipe Orts, the seven-time Spanish champion and current European runner-up. He will aim for a strong performance in his 'home' race, one of his main objectives for a season that began last Sunday with an impressive eighth place in Meulebeke, Belgium. After crossing the finish line, he acknowledged, "I had the legs to fight for more."

Alongside the first Spanish rider ever signed by a Belgian team, the 2025 Benidorm winner and current continental champion, Belgian Thibau Nys, has also confirmed his participation. "Having Thibau Nys with us means a lot," says Pascual Momparler, the organiser of the Benidorm World Cup. "He is the European champion, the Belgian champion, and the son of a legend who brought cyclocross to all corners of the world. His decision to include our event in his calendar once again is a dream that was unimaginable a few years ago. We are very pleased that the top cyclocross figures are already signing up for the Benidorm event," summarised Momparler.

Thibau Nys (born 2002, Bonheiden, Belgium) has grown up among wheels and mud. His father, Sven Nys, nicknamed 'The Cannibal' for his near invincibility, is one of Belgium's most popular figures and one of the greatest legends in cyclocross history.

Since moving up to the under-23 category, Thibau has proven himself race after race, becoming one of the big names on the scene with the Baloise-Glowi Lions team. He was the under-23 world champion in 2023 and won the Elite bronze this year. He is the reigning European and Belgian champion. Additionally, he has become a formidable competitor on the road, racing with Lidl-Trek, where he already competes alongside Héctor Álvarez from Alfaz del Pi and will be joined by Juan Ayuso next year. He won the Miguel Induráin Grand Prix last April and made his Tour de France debut last summer.