"Much better than I could ever have dreamed of" - Thibau Nys on unimaginable streak of victories in 2024

Winner of stages at the Tour de Romandie, Tour de Hongrie, Tour of Norway and now the Tour de Suisse; Thibau Nys has been having an extraordinary month and a half which makes up his entire 2024 road season so far. The cyclocross specialist turned premium puncheur's success does not stop and he talks a bit about what his feelings.

"I have won at least one stage in every stage race I have ridden this year. Unbelievable. The first part of my road season is still so much better than I could ever have dreamed of," Nys said in words to Het Nieuwsblad shared this morning. Yesterday, the Lidl-Trek rider won the third stage of the Tour de Suisse, which is the fourth consecutive stage-race in which he has taken a stage win this year. An impressive feat for a rider who is neither a climber, sprinter or time-trialist.

"I wanted to seize every opportunity that was there. It didn't matter to me where or how, big or small races, as long as I could win. But this of course surpasses everything. The strange thing is: sometimes I still think about what I missed out on. Okay, if things go wrong, I might be here today with three victories. But I could just as easily have won nine or ten times."

These are numbers that, in a way, remind fans of the likes of Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert who had a similar rise through the cyclocross ranks. At 21 years of age and in a team that has been racing tremendously over the past few years - and with leaders such as Mads Pedersen to teach him the ways of the classics - there is an endless amount of potential in the Nys' legs.

"I will continue to take steps, that is clear. But I also have the feeling that I can still take many steps in the future. I can still gain a lot of experience. My body will become even stronger. I will be able to do more training work," he believes. At the time being, he holds a contract with the American team until 2026, and is sharply rising through the ranks.

"'I will sign up for that immediately," he said of the possibility of the team giving him a leading position in the Ardennes next season, which should suit him quite well. "Just as I do not know where my limits are at the moment. I am not thinking about it either. I will just try to be the best version of myself in the coming months and years. Then we will see where the ship runs aground."

All of this however, without forgetting cyclocross where this year he struggled to find consistency but definitely showed himself amongst the best and has taken a few important wins. "I think that not everyone has seen what I am worth in cyclocross. Maybe it will all come out this coming winter. I stick to what I said before: I am far from finished with cyclo-cross."

"My love for the field is too great for that and I still have far too much to prove. At most, I might then organize my season a little differently, in function of a grand tour or a spring classic. But for now, cyclo-cross is still far too close to my heart."