For the first time since the World Cup in Valkenburg, Sven Nys (Crelan-AA Drinks) managed to finish on the podium in a cyclo-cross race of one of the main series. "For me, this third place was the highest achievable today," he told Het Nieuwsblad on Sunday after the Superprestige race in Ruddervoorde. "I can live with this."

Last week the feeling of disappointment dominated after his withdrawal at the Koppenbergcross and yesterday he skipped the European Championships in Huijbergen due to illness. However, Nys bounced back in Ruddervoorde. He spent nearly four laps up in the front with Kevin Pauwels and was only dropped after a small crash. "I touched Kevin's wheel," he said. "Stupid, but Kevin was really strong and I was on my limit. Then it is easier to make make a mistake. It is too bad because if I had followed him longer, it would have started to weigh on him mentally and we would maybe have had another race. However, Kevin was really impressive today. I have never seen him being so strong in Ruddervoorde."

Nys was finally joined by Wout Van Aert in the finale and finished third. "In the end I could just not accelerate," he said. "First there was my tire choice: I chose to ride with ordinary tubes, the others with rhinos. Those tubes gave me an advantage in some sections but in corners I lost a lot and in the end it cost me too much to close all those gaps."

The heat also played a role. "In these temperatures I did a good race, but honestly, I was sweating massively. In the last three laps I was on the verge of having cramps and in these conditions, drinking is not really an option for me because I get a pretty bad stomach. Look at my hands again: they look like I have been spending an hour in the bath instead of doing a race. No, I did the maximum in these conditions and I hope that it soon gets colder."

His illness is now over. "That was really just one night," he said. "I think I've just eaten something wrong. It was a good choice not to start at the European Championships. Last year I would have done so, but that is not wise because it would have cost me another two bad races."