"Everyone was suffering — except Tadej Pogacar" - Thibau Nys blames bad weather for missing out at La Fleche Wallonne

Big things were expected of Thibau Nys on the Mur de Huy at La Fleche Wallonne 2025. Sadly for the Lidl-Trek star however, his final kick deserted him on the climb to the finish line, with the Belgian eventually having to settle for an 8th placed finish.

According to the man himself, the biggest issue he had during the day was the inclement weather as the race was plagued by cold, wet and windy conditions throughout. "The rain caused more damage than the difficulty of the course or the power numbers. I struggled with my clothing all day. Either I was wearing too much, or not enough," he explained in a post-race interview with Het Laatste Nieuws. "On the climbs I was overheating, but toward the end, you just have to throw everything at it for the finale. It was really a balancing act."

"In the last two hours, constantly changing layers started to take a toll on my legs. Every time I tried to accelerate, I felt them seizing up from the cold," continued the 22-year-old prodigy. "That’s when I knew I wouldn’t be able to unleash my sprint on the Mur de Huy. And when Tadej launched, my legs completely locked up. It was just a matter of hanging on."

In an extra blow for Nys, the second part of the planned two-pronged Lidl-Trek attack, Mattias Skjelmose crashed out with around 30km to go. "It was a shame I was on my own, but I still managed to hold my position up front. Everyone was suffering — except Tadej, who could still accelerate," Nys concludes his assessment of the race. "On the Mur, it was just a fight against myself. The cold was brutal, but I’m already looking forward to coming back here. Hopefully next time I can really give it everything."