Unlike previous years, Sven Nys doesn’t go into the Belgian championships as the favourite. All season, he has been below his usual level. For the first time, he admits that his divorce may have played a role. "Maybe the impact is greater than I've always wanted to believe," he tells veldritkrant.be.

Much has been said and written about the poor performances by Sven Nys. His age – he is 38 years old – illness, his divorce in the summer, ...

Until now, Nys has not tried to use the break with his wife as an excuse but now he admits for the first time that the new private situation certainly had an impact.

"And perhaps more than I wanted to believe. Mentally I had the feeling that I had everything under control in the summer. I found myself physically stable.

"But maybe I have subconsciously been thinking more about it. You know that. Everyone wanted to help me, but I was determined to prove that I could do it alone. I was stubborn.

"Anyway, my days are different than before. I thought I would compensate by building something new. For example, I stayed away from the Kristallenfiets and the Sports Gala. I accepted fewer interviews, you name it. But that new lifestyle still has an impact on me.

"Moreover, I continued to do the training that I had planned.”

"If an athlete feels one percent less, he pays the prize and the whole country can watch it. Bu what can I do now? The season is over in five to six weeks. Then I can rebuild for next winter at my own pace.”