"Flèche Wallonne and a stage in the Tour" - Thibau Nys outlines main goals for 2025 season
Cycling
Thibau Nys is in the middle of his cyclocross season, with a European title already on the palmarès, but his eyes are equally on the road season. The Belgian is incredibly talented and is no short of high ambitions into the 2025 season, which mostly focus on the Ardennes classics and a possible Tour de France debut.
"It's a rollercoaster. I surprise everyone during the road season, but I ride two crosses badly after illness and, so to speak, the whole of Belgium breaks you down. Then I win three times in a row and they carry you on their hands again. That is a bit typical of our country," Nys says of the Belgian audience - the likes of Wout van Aert and Remco Evenepoel could say the same.
In Loenhout he finished second, in the middle of the first race between Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert, whom he respects. "I'm happy that I can race against those guys during this period. Both in cyclocross and on the road, we may reach the highest level ever. Why would it be a shame? On the contrary. I enjoy it."
Nys won stages in every single stage-race he was part of this year, including three victories at the Tour de Pologne. His talent as a puncheur is undeniable and he is already one of the very best in the world, and in 2025 he aims to make a Grand Tour debut. The Tour de France, with four hilly stages in the first week (where the yellow jersey may also be available) could be a top priority.
"There are pros and cons to the three Grand Tours. The Giro comes early after the cyclocross season, the Tour is hectic and the Vuelta comes close to the next cyclocross winter," he argues. "The Tour would suit me best in terms of timing, but it has nothing to do with what the team wants or expects. I blindly follow what they recommend. But I certainly won't say no to the Tour as the first Grand tour."
"If we're sitting here again in a year and I can say that I won the Flèche Wallonne and a stage in the Tour. No, I'm nonsense, but it is a dream," he jokes. "I'm the last to say that I will win those races, but I am the first to work towards it with ambition. There's nothing wrong with saying that you want to try to win and that you will do everything for it. There's a big difference with saying that you will win those races. But my season won't be a failure anyway if I don't win them."
Read also
The final showdown of the year will be in Besançon 🇫🇷!
— UCI Cyclocross (@UCI_CX) December 29, 2024
Who will finish 2024 with a bang? 💥#CXWorldCup #FLCS
Just in
Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter today!
Popular news
Latest comments
- it’s going to be interesting to see what goals and challenges will continue to inspire van der poel as a road racer. he’s a guy who can’t stand being bored. i mentioned in a comment some weeks ago that it kinda seems like he’s interested in becoming a better climber, experimenting with shedding body mass to see what might be possible. personally, i’ve always wished he would get passionate about TTs. he can obviously sustain massive watts for extended periods, and he has an almost singular ability to push beyond his limit and empty his tank to a stunning degree. additionally, he’s got a beautiful, naturally aero position when he’s on a road bike. on the rare occasions he’s felt like really making an effort — in yellow at the tour and pink at the giro — he finished 5th and 2nd, respectively. and he apparently NEVER practices that discipline, like EVER.OCexile01-01-2025
- The late 90’s is when Lance was winning . Greg must have meant late ?JtotheB01-01-2025
- If we put logic aside, we could envision Roglic in yellow in Paris, leading out Jordi Meeus for the final sprint.Ride197401-01-2025
- Ok, missed that, kind of weird he felt it was important to specify when it’s only a personal opinion he’s totally entitled to having.Mistermaumau01-01-2025
- They may no longer have defined limit but I’m pretty sure it is still one of the many variables the biopass registers to expose discrepancies and there is no way any value above say 53/54 under normal conditions would not be considered abnormal and ignite a whole strategy for more intense controls. Where did you find information about it no longer being tested?Mistermaumau01-01-2025
- So all today’s guys will just smash Merckx 1h record on his bike now? That’s what you’re saying? Not even sure 5 could after preparing for a year and then only marginally.Mistermaumau01-01-2025
- I believe that Lemond came back from a near-death gunshot wound and won 2 Tours at the start of the EPO age, and the only thing he injected was iron.
MarkFour01-01-2025 - One of the greats. He will be missed with a smile.Sweep31-12-2024
- I remember what the sport was like before the aliens landed. Just think, not one TdF winner from before 1991 would be able to make a WT team today even in their prime. Not one.Sweep31-12-2024
- Well, to be honest we don't know what the HCT levels are today since they no longer test them directly. You can have 65% if it fits your passport and no one but your team and UCI will know.Sweep31-12-2024