Like father, like son? We compare Thibau Nys’ cyclocross bike to his dad’s from ten years ago ahead of the cyclocross World Championships

Cycling has often thrown up very successful familial dynasties. Former world champion on the road and multiple world champion in cyclocross, Mathieu van der Poel, is the son of former cyclocross world champion Adri van der Poel, as well as the grandson of Milan-San Remo winner Raymond Poulidor and Paris-Roubaix winner, Magnus Bäckstedt’s daughters, Zoe and Elynor, ride for Canyon-Sram zondacypto and UAE Team ADQ respectively. 

It is, however, unusual to find a father-son duo who not only competed in the same discipline but also on the same bikes. Sven Nys, widely regarded as the greatest cyclocross rider in history, rode much of his career aboard Colnago machines but switched to riding Treks in the latter years. His son, Thibau Nys, now rides for Lidl-Trek on the road and the Baloise Glowi Lions on the ‘cross field, in both cases riding Trek bikes.