"If I had to pick, I’d say the Tour" - Thibau Nys wants Tour de France debut in 2025

Thibau Nys has shown impressive talent this year on the road and his potential is immense. Besides what he can achieve in cyclocross, with Lidl-Trek he has taken no less than 9 wins in the space of 4 months over the spring and summer and in 2025 he will want to make his debut in a Grand Tour - and who knows, this might be the Tour de France.

“Will I be racing a grand tour next year? Yeah, there’s about a ninety percent chance. I don’t really mind which one, but each comes with its own challenges. The Giro isn’t far from the end of the cyclocross season, the Tour isn’t a given with our team, and the Vuelta is quite close to the start of the next cross season," Nys said in the 'Odd Tandem' podcast. "If I had to pick, I’d say the Tour, because the timing just works best. But I’m not one to say I deserve a specific spot. That’s up to the team".

Last year the Belgian already intended on racing the Giro d'Italia, but ultimately it was a late decision and the team decided it was best for him to focus on other stage-races. A good decision perhaps, taking into consideration how much he won there. Currently, he is starting off the cyclocross season - albeit not with his best form - and will be looking to achieve a lot this winter. Next year on the road, he aims to race already in the Ardennes classics.

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One race specifically has his attention: “Looking ahead to next year, one race really jumps out to me, and that’s La Flèche Wallonne. I’ll be working to be in top form for that, and I’m likely to race the Amstel Gold as well. The finish at La Flèche Wallonne on the Mur de Huy should suit me well. I rode it once with the cyclocross team, back when I wasn’t even thinking about a road career, and right away, I thought: ‘If I ever want to win a race, it’s La Flèche Wallonne.’”

Two years ago Tadej Pogacar won that race and Nys is asked about the Slovenian: “Pogacar is rewriting the rules of racing. Other teams are at a loss because they don’t know how to handle this situation. Personally, I’m not too focused on it. All I can do is make sure I’m at my absolute best and take my chances. And a breakaway making it to the finish at La Flèche Wallonne is rare. But with the form he’s in now, Pogacar could attack on the penultimate climb on the Mur, and that would change the race completely for me.”

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Perhaps unfairly, most riders are compared to the likes of Pogacar or the other big figures of cycling, who have almost unattainable levels even for most professional riders. Nys is extremely talented but he also has to have his head in place when it comes to focusing on his own abilities and not those of his rivals. “It’s a bit of a mixed feeling. Of course, it’s intimidating to go up against Van der Poel in Paris-Roubaix or Jonas Vingegaard on a long climb. But I have to make sure I get better at what makes me strong. Then, maybe someday, I’ll be the rider others are afraid of," he explains." I think it’s great when those superstars are around; it motivates me too. I don’t see it as a negative thing, far from it.”

The Belgian also provided insight on how he prepares for races and how he believes that the most key part of cycling is actually not in the racing itself, but in training. “I’m someone who really needs to build confidence in training, to feel ready; to know I can complete the training sessions that will bring me victory. I always think: I don’t win in the race, I win in training. Racing is the easy part. Racing is just the fun part; all the hard work is already done. And in that one week before Poland, I had a training session where I felt: this is it, this is what I need to win".

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