"In nine out of ten cases there will be no scenario in which I will be able to show my qualities" - Thibau Nys doesn't expect he'll ride the World Championships
Cycling
Thibau Nys showed that he's to be taken into account in road races with nine victories this year. Normally, his season will come to an end at the Bretagne Classic this Sunday, however the young Belgian doesn't rule out that he could adjust his cyclocross plans to participate at the road World Championships, had the national coach requested his services.
"I haven't really thought about the World Championship yet," Nys told VTM Nieuws/HLN. "In my mind, I'll end my road season on Sunday in the Bretagne Classic. I haven't talked about it with the national coach yet, but of course you can't deny that it would be a 'grave' race and a nice ending," he keeps the door open.
"It certainly wouldn’t be easy, because it would mean that I would have to tinker with my preparation for the cross season. I’m not a fan of that at the moment. In addition, I would also understand perfectly well if other guys were preferred to help Remco Evenepoel. As much as I would like to ride in his service, other guys will be better suited for that. And in nine out of ten cases there will be no scenario in which I will be able to show my qualities."
Cyclocross remains extremely important to the young Nys. "First and foremost, I want to ride at a high level from start to finish – that didn’t work out last winter (because of back pain, ed.). And I want to continue cyclocross after that."
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Now that he has won multiple times at the highest level stage races, Nys can aim extra high in 2025. "Next year – and without claiming my place – I would prefer to ride the Tour as the first grand tour, simply because the Tour is easiest to combine with cyclocross. Suppose I were to ride the Giro, I would have to end my winter earlier. If I ride the Vuelta, I can only enter the cyclocross later."
The same ambitious approach applies to spring classics, where Nys could follow in the footsteps of compatriot Philippe Gilbert. "In the spring I look at races like the Amstel Gold Race and La Fleche Wallonne. Over the years I would also like to get a taste of the Flemish spring. That is where my heart lies, but that does not mean that my body can handle it. I do feel that it is increasingly within my reach."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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