Sven Nys

Sven Nys (born 17 June 1976) is a former professional cyclist competing in cyclo-cross and mountain bike. With two world championships, seven world cups, and over 140 competitive victories, he is considered one of the best cyclo-cross racers of his generation, and remains a prominent figure in cyclo-cross. Apart from cyclo-cross, Nys is also fivefold national mountainbike champion, and has competed in that discipline in two Olympic games.
Career overview
Early years
Born in Bonheiden, Belgium, Nys began racing BMX at the age of 8. He won eight BMX national titles before switching to cyclocross, a more popular sport in Belgium. He won the under-23 world championship in 1997 and 1998, beating another Belgian, Bart Wellens. Nys moved to the elite category in 1998–1999, joining the Dutch team.
Becoming elite
In the elite class he won the Superprestige competition and came third in the national championships. The next season, he won the Superprestige again, ended the World Cup as leader and became Belgian champion. This made him favourite for the 2000 world championship. But his Rabobank management told him not to beat his teammate, the Dutchman Richard Groenendaal. Groenendaal sprinted away from the start and Nys was forced to hold back and not help another Belgian, Mario De Clercq, chase him. Groenendaal won and Nys, who came third, was criticised in Belgium for choosing team over country. The Royal Belgian Cycling League demanded an explanation. It became more forgiving but the head coach, Erik De Vlaeminck, remained unconvinced.
Nys blamed an injury for not winning a season-long competition or championship in 2000–2001. A year later he won the World Cup and the Superprestige again. In the world championships that year he came third after being outsprinted by De Clercq and Tom Vannoppen. The following season Nys won the Superprestige for the fourth time as well as the Gazet van Antwerpen trophy for a first time. He became Belgian champion again, but Wellens won the world championship and the World Cup.
Wellens dominated 2003–2004. Nys' chance for the World Cup ended when other Belgians sprinted past him, taking points. Nys was angry that his countrymen had allowed Groenendaal, a Dutchman, to win the World Cup rather than him. That evening Nys decided from then on to ride for himself.
The cannibal
Nys won everything of importance and at the end of 2004–2005 won the national and world championships, ended number one in the UCI rankings and World Cup, the Superprestige and the Gazet van Antwerpen Trophy. He is the only cyclo-crosser to achieve such dominance. Nys came close to repeating the feat the following season but he gave up in the world championship after a fall on the last lap.
Nys won all eight Superprestige races in 2006–2007. In the Superprestige he won 13 races from Hoogstraten in 2005 to Asper Gaver in 2007. That season he won the World Cup and the Gazet van Antwerpen trophy again, but neither the national or world championship. The national involved a lot of running, not Nys' talent, and were won by Wellens. At the world championship in Hooglede-Gits Nys fell three times: over Wellens, who fell because a television motor had hit one of the road markers; over Erwin Vervecken; and because of an error of his own. He finished 11th.
The following season, Nys won the World Cup, the Superprestige and the Gazet van Anterwerpen trophy again. He also won his fifth national championship. The Dutchman Lars Boom became champion of the world and Zdeněk Štybar took the silver, both barely 22 at the time. Nys, already nearing 32, came third.
Nys switched teams from Rabobank to Landbouwkrediet-Tönissteiner. Niels Albert, 2008's U23 world champion, joined the elite category that season, giving Nys another opponent. But Nys won all the season-long competitions and the national championship. Albert won the world championship, Štybar was second and Nys third. The Belgian press referred to Albert, Štybar and Nys as De Grote Drie (The Big Three), it was clear that Nys' years of absolute domination were behind him.
In his second mountain bike race Nys won the Belgian championship and then came ninth at the Olympic Games in 2008. On 31 December 2006 Nys won his 150th race with the elites, at Diegem. Four years later, he scored his 300th career win at the Koppenbergcross, one of the toughest races in the season.
Nys was appointed as a member of the inaugural UCI Athletes' Commission in 2011.
In 2013 Nys won the world championship a second time. He said his career was now complete.
On 10 February 2013, Nys won his 60th race in the Superprestige.
On 22 November 2015, Nys won the Koksijde round of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in Belgium, his fiftieth victory in the series. His win came seventeen years and a day after his first World Cup victory.
Sven Nys called a halt to his career on 5–6 March 2016 at an event called "Merci Sven" which was held at the Antwerp Sportpaleis (Belgium).
Post cycling career
After ending his active cyclocross career Nys bought the cyclocross team Telenet–Fidea Lions of which he is the general manager. He is also a motivational speaker, during his keynotes he shares information about his experiences during his cycling career.
Major results
Cyclo-cross
1996–1997
1st UCI World Under-23 Championships
1997–1998
1st UCI World Under-23 Championships
1998–1999 (13)
UCI World Cup
1st Tábor
1st Overall Superprestige
1st Ruddervoorde
1st Sint-Michielsgestel
1st Gieten
1st Sivelle
1st Diegem
1st Wetzikon
1st Eeklo
1st Zonnebeke
1999–2000 (21)
1st National Championships
1st Overall UCI World Cup
1st Safenwill
1st Leudelange
1st Overall Superprestige
1st Ruddervoorde
1st Gieten
1st Silvelle
1st Hoogstraten
1st Surhuisterveen
Gazet van Antwerpen
1st Rijkevorsel
1st Lille
1st Wetzikon
2000–2001 (6)
UCI World Cup
1st Heusden-Zolder
1st Zeddam
Superprestige
1st Diegem
Gazet van Antwerpen
1st Kalmthout
1st Lille
1st Loenhout
2001–2002 (10)
1st Overall UCI World Cup
1st Monopoli
1st Igorre
1st Wetzikon
1st Overall Superprestige
1st Gavere
1st Gieten
1st Fourmies
1st Harderwijk
1st Oudenaarde
1st Tábor
2002–2003 (17)
1st National Championships
UCI World Cup
1st Liévin
1st Hoogerheide
1st Overall Superprestige
1st Ruddervoorde
1st Sint-Michielsgestel
1st Gieten
1st Hoogstraten
1st Harnes
1st Overall Gazet van Antwerpen
1st Essen
1st Loenhout
1st Baal
1st Dottignies
1st Fourmies
1st Hamme
2003–2004 (10)
UCI World Cup
1st Torino
1st Sankt-Wendel
1st Wetzikon
Superprestige
1st Sint-Michielsgestel
1st Vorselaar
Gazet van Antwerpen
1st Baal
1st Eeklo
1st Hofstade
1st Middelkerke
2004–2005 (25)
1st UCI World Championships
1st National Championships
1st Overall UCI World Cup
1st Pijnacker
1st Wetzikon
1st Milan
1st Hofstade
1st Nommay
1st Hoogerheide
1st Lanarvilly
1st Overall Superprestige
1st Ruddervoorde
1st Gavere
1st Gieten
1st Vorselaar
1st Overall Gazet van Antwerpen
1st Oudenaarde
1st Loenhout
1st Baal
1st Lille
1st Oostmalle
1st Aalter
1st Erpe-Mere
1st Huijbergen
1st Kalmthout
1st Overijse
1st Woerden
2005–2006 (27)
1st National Championships
1st Overall UCI World Cup
1st Kalmthout
1st Tábor
1st Pijnacker
1st Wetzikon
1st Milan
1st Hofstade
1st Hooglede
1st Liévin
1st Overall Superprestige
1st Hamme
1st Gavere
1st Vorselaar
1st Overall Gazet van Antwerpen
1st Oudenaarde
1st Niel
1st Loenhout
1st Lille
1st Aalter
1st Antwerpen
1st Eeklo
1st Harderwijk
1st Hasselt
1st Heerlen
1st Koksijde
1st Lebbeke
1st Sint-Niklaas
2006–2007 (28)
1st Overall UCI World Cup
1st Aigle
1st Kalmthout
1st Pijnacker
1st Koksijde
1st Igorre
1st Nommay
1st Hoogerheide
1st Overall Superprestige
1st Ruddervoorde
1st Sint-Michielsgestel
1st Gavere
1st Gieten
1st Hamme
1st Diegem
1st Hoogstraten
1st Vorselaar
1st Overall Gazet van Antwerpen
1st Oudenaarde
1st Essen
1st Baal
1st Lille
1st Dottignies
1st Eeklo
1st Erpe-Mere
1st Mechelen
1st Overijse
1st Sint-Niklaas
1st Vossem
1st Wachtebeke
1st Zonhoven
2007–2008 (21)
1st National Championships
UCI World Cup
1st Tábor
1st Koksijde
1st Igorre
1st Hofstade
1st Overall Superprestige
1st Ruddervoorde
1st Hamme
1st Gavere
1st Veghel-Eerde
1st Diegem
1st Overall Gazet van Antwerpen
1st Oudenaarde
1st Hasselt
1st Essen
1st Baal
1st Neerpelt
1st Harderwijk
1st Dottignies
1st Asteasu-Guipúzcoa
1st Middelkerke
1st Otegem
1st Surhuisterveen
2008–2009 (18)
1st National Championships
1st Overall UCI World Cup
1st Kalmthout
1st Igorre
1st Milan
1st Overall Superprestige
1st Ruddervoorde
1st Gavere
1st Hamme
1st Overall Gazet van Antwerpen
1st Oudenaarde
1st Essen
1st Neerpelt
1st Dottenijs
1st Eernegem
1st Middelkerke
1st Maldegem
2009–2010 (15)
1st National Championships
UCI World Cup
1st Kalmthout
Superprestige
1st Ruddervoorde
1st Gieten
1st Zonhoven
1st Overall Gazet van Antwerpen
1st Oudenaarde
1st Loenhout
1st Baal
1st Lille
Fidea Classics
1st Niel
1st Woerden
1st Middelkerke
1st Zonnebeke
1st Lebbeke
1st Antwerpen
2010–2011 (14)
1st Overall Superprestige
1st Gavere
1st Hamme
1st Hoogstraten
Gazet van Antwerpen
1st Oudenaarde
1st Essen
1st Baal
Fidea Classics
1st Niel
1st Neerpelt
1st Overijse
1st Erpe-Mere
1st Ronse
1st Maldegem
1st Asteasu
1st Lebbeke
2011–2012 (17)
1st National Championships
UCI World Cup
1st Plzeň
1st Koksijde
1st Namur
1st Overall Superprestige
1st Gieten
Gazet van Antwerpen
1st Baal
Fidea Classics
1st Neerpelt
1st Niel
1st Antwerpen
1st Leuven
1st Laarne
1st Cauberg
1st Eeklo
1st Overijse
2012–2013 (19)
1st UCI World Championships
UCI World Cup
1st Koksijde
1st Roubaix
1st Heusden-Zolder
1st Overall Superprestige
1st Ruddervoorde
1st Zonhoven
1st Hamme
1st Gavere
1st Hoogstraten
Bpost Bank Trophy
1st Oudenaarde
1st Hasselt
Soudal Classics
1st Neerpelt
1st Kalmthout
1st Overijse
1st Sint-Niklaas
1st Bredene
1st Eeklo
1st Lebbeke
1st Mechelen
2013–2014 (17)
1st National Championships
1st Overall Superprestige
1st Zonhoven
1st Gavere
1st Diegem
1st Hoogstraten
1st Overall Bpost Bank Trophy
1st Ronse
1st Hasselt
1st Loenhout
1st Baal
1st Lille
Soudal Classics
1st Leuven
1st Niel
1st Overijse
1st Las Vegas
1st Zonnebeke
1st Lebbeke
1st Mechelen
2014–2015 (4)
Bpost Bank Trophy
1st Ronse
Soudal Classics
1st Neerpelt
1st Niel
1st Las Vegas
2015–2016 (3)
UCI World Cup
1st Koksijde
Soudal Classics
1st Hasselt
1st Mechelen
Major championship results
UCI World Cup results
Superprestige
BPost Bank Trophy
Up until the season 2011–2012, this competition was called the Gazet van Antwerpen Trophy (GvA).
Mountain Bike
2004–2005
1st National Championships
2006–2007
1st National Championships
1st Apeldoorn
1st Gieten
2008–2009
1st Averbode
2009–2010
1st Gooik
1st Sankt Vith
1st Geraardsbergen
1st Averbode
1st Belgian Cup
2010–2011
1st Boom
1st Geraardsbergen
1st Belgian Cup
2011–2012
1st Antwerp
1st Sankt Vith
1st Geraardsbergen
1st Belgian Cup
2012–2013
1st National Championships
2013–2014
1st National Championships
2014–2015
1st National Championships
Road
2006
8th Overall Tour of Belgium
2007
1st Internationale Wielertrofee Jong Maar Moedig
2008
10th Omloop der Kempen
2011
9th Internationale Wielertrofee Jong Maar Moedig
2012
5th Circuit de Wallonie
2014
6th Internationale Wielertrofee Jong Maar Moedig
References
External links
1976 births
Living people
Belgian male cyclists
Cyclo-cross cyclists
Cyclists at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Cyclists at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Olympic cyclists for Belgium
People from Bonheiden
UCI Cyclo-cross World Champions (men)
Cyclists at the 2015 European Games
European Games competitors for Belgium
Cyclists from Antwerp Province
Belgian cyclo-cross champions