Sven Nys (; born 17 June 1976) is a Belgian 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 heavily 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.Bevestigd: Sven Nys is nieuwe eigenaar van Telenet-Fidea 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 Turin 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
Season World National 1998–1999 POP SOU 1999–2000 SMI GEN 2000–2001 TAB MOL 2001–2002 ZOL KOK 2002–2003 MON WIE 2003–2004 PCH LIL 2004–2005 SAN WAC 2005–2006 ZED TER 2006–2007 HOO HAM 2007–2008 TRE HOF 2008–2009 HOO RUD 2009–2010 TAB OOS 2010–2011 SAN ANT 2011–2012 KOK HOO 2012–2013 LOU MOL 2013–2014 HOO WAR
UCI World Cup results Season 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Rank Points 1998–1999 ESC TAB LEU KOK ZED NOM 3 177 1999–2000 SAF TAB LEU KAL ZED NOM 1 300 2000–2001 BER TAB LEU ZOL ZED PON 6 179 2001–2002 MON IGO WOR NOM WET HEE 1 282 2002–2003 FRA KAL LIÉ WET HOO 2 300 2003–2004 TOR SWE WET KOK NOM PIJ 2 299 2004–2005 WOR TAB PIJ KOK WET MIL HOF AIG NOM HOO LAN 1 2940 2005–2006 KAL TAB PIJ WET MIL IGO HOF HGI LIE HOO 1 2660 2006–2007 AIG KAL TAB TRE PIJ KOK IGO MIL HOF NOM HOO 1 3500 2007–2008 KAL TAB PIJ KOK IGO MIL HOF LIÉ HOO 2008–2009 KAL TAB PIJ KOK IGO NOM ZOL ROU MIL 1 620 2009–2010 TRE PLZ NOM KOK IGO KAL ZOL ROU HOO 3 535 2010–2011 AIG PLZ KOK IGO KAL ZOL PON HOO 3 484 2011–2012 PLZ TAB KOK IGO NAM ZOL LIÉ HOO 2 540 2012–2013 TAB PLZ KOK ROU NAM ZOL ROM HOO 3 506 2013–2014 VAL TAB KOK NAM ZOL ROM NOM 12 264 2014–2015 VAL KOK MIL NAM ZOL HOO 28 132 2015–2016 LAS VAL KOK NAM ZOL LIG HOO 4 389
Superprestige