Yesterday Sven Nys was 8th in the Azencross in Loenhout. The result marked another step forward for the Belgian champion who had finished 16th in the Superprestige race in Diegem. "And in Baal, I want to try to finish on the podium," he says.

Sven Nys seems to be getting closer to his usual level. After several poor performance, he showed signs of progress when he finished 8th in yesterday's Bpost Bank Trofee race in Loenhout.

"At one point, I was riding with a very good feeling but just before the bumps, I got a flat tire," he told Het Nieuwsblad. "I managed to stay in the group but just in that moment, it was really strung out. But the feeling was much better than in Diegem, I had more strength in the legs. Still I didn't dare to go very deep in the final lap but I want to do it step by step. My place at the finish is not important. I want to make progress every day. In Baal [tomorrow] I will try to make the podium."