“I’d like to win a race before I say that I’m completely back” - Thibau Nys refuses to celebrate Vuelta resurgence after Stage 10 podium
Cycling
Thibau Nys returned to the sharp end of a WorldTour race on Stage 10 of the 2026 Vuelta a Espana, but third place behind Bastien Tronchon and Magnus Cort brought considerably more frustration than satisfaction for the Lidl – Trek rider.
The uphill finish in Elche de la Sierra suited Nys, who believed he had positioned himself perfectly before the final corner changed the complexion of his sprint. “I was actually perfectly positioned,” Nys said afterwards. “But in the final corner I lost ten places, which meant I already had to launch my sprint.”
Nys was forced to accelerate earlier than planned and fought his way back through the group, eventually crossing behind surprise winner Tronchon and Cort.
His biggest regret came around 250 metres from the line. “With 250 metres to go, I decided to sit down again for a moment, but I should have had the courage to just keep going in one effort,” he admitted. “That’s the experience I still lack a little in the sprint.”
“Disappointment is the overriding feeling”
The result was nevertheless comfortably Nys’s best of this Vuelta after a difficult build-up to the race.
Knee surgery had wiped out much of his spring campaign and kept him off the bike for several weeks. After returning to racing in June, his preparations for the Vuelta were then interrupted by toxoplasmosis, leaving his participation uncertain shortly before the start.
Nys had also passed through the opening nine stages without a top-20 finish before suddenly finding himself fighting for victory in Elche de la Sierra. “I am happy with how I felt, though,” he said. “It confirms that I really am here in this Vuelta, but disappointment is still the overriding feeling.”
That frustration was understandable given how close he had come. Nys has already built much of his road reputation on explosive uphill finishes, winning three stages of the Tour de Pologne in 2024 before adding GP Miguel Indurain in 2025.
Victory remains Nys’s benchmark
Stage 10 was his first Vuelta podium and his strongest WorldTour result since the illness and injury problems that disrupted his season, but Nys was unwilling to treat third place as the end point of his recovery.
“I’d like to win a race before I say that I’m completely back.”
For now, the result leaves him with both confirmation and unfinished business. Nys has finally returned to contention for victories at the Vuelta, but the result he is waiting for is still first place.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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