Belgian cyclocross racer Tibau Nys of Baloise Trek Lions will return to action at the Koppenbergcross on November 1, three weeks after breaking his collarbone in a crash at the UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Waterloo.

Nys, 18, was scheduled to compete in an all-cross race in North America last week until he crashed on the opening lap of the season opener on October 10. Instead, he returned to Belgium, underwent surgery, and was soon back on an indoor trainer.

His coach, Paul van den Bosch, told Het Laatste Nieuws that Nys' recovery was so fast that he would have been able to return for the World Cup Sonnenhofen weekend.

"The aftereffects of the fall are no longer there. 'Still, we remained vigilant. And we took advantage of the opportunity to sharpen his base even further with a thorough training session away from home."

The son of cross legend Sven Nys, Nys made a big impression in cyclocross as a junior, winning the 2020 World, European, and Belgian Championship titles, as well as the Superprestige and World Cup series, Iowa at 17, Waterloo, Hulst and Nomey.

Nys' entry into the elite ranks did not go smoothly, as most junior and U23 races were cancelled during the 2020-2021 COVID-19 epidemic season. He struggled to finish and did not make the Belgian team for the 2021 World Championships.

However, he had a very successful summer on the road in 2021, winning Ronde Vlaams-Brabant and Tour de la Namur, winning the U23 European road title and finishing 6th in the U23 road world championship race.

Van den Bosch has high hopes for Nys' cyclocross campaign despite his setback in Waterloo.

"Although Tibau missed two crosses, he was back on the bike four days after surgery and was able to complete a solid week of training while the other riders recovered from jet lag in the US. He will also be able to build up his fitness further over the coming week.

"Lack of race rhythm may hamper him in the Koppenberg, but with his solid base, I see it paying off in the long run.

Belgium coach Sven Vanthourenhout, who was not selected last season, says Nys has nothing to worry about this season.

"For me, he didn't even need to play in the Coppencross to get a ticket to the European Championships. After that fall, he rested for a few days. But after a busy summer, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing for him.