"Tadej Pogacar's impressive, but he wasn’t terrifying" - Thibau Nys holds no fear ahead of Liege-Bastogne-Liege 2025

Thibau Nys seemingly has a massive future laying in wait over the coming years. Make no mistake though, the 22-year-old Belgian is a threat for the big races in 2025. This Sunday, Nys takes part in his first ever Monument at Liege-Bastogne-Liege with the stacked startlist of rivals absolutely nothing to fear for the multi-discipline star.

"I’m really looking forward to it," previews Nys in conversation with IDLProCycling.com ahead of this Sunday's battle in Liege. "It’s definitely going to be tough. First and foremost, my goal is to help Mattias Skjelmose as much as possible, and second, to get a result myself. We'll see if both can happen. It’s a terribly hard race."

It might be a first ever Monument for the Belgian prospect, but Nys has already shown his qualities in long distance races in the last week, finishing 12th at the Amstel Gold Race. "I can handle it and I don’t need to be afraid of it. It’s a different kind of effort, but I’m in good shape and, with the right fuelling, I can manage that effort," he says excitedly. "It becomes more of a survival race, and positioning matters less toward the end because you're moving up based on your legs rather than on nerves. That’s nice. Everything needs to be spot-on: missing a bottle or a gel has consequences, so even after five hours of racing, you really have to stay mentally sharp."

In the Ardennes this week, Nys has also had a first career meeting with the all-conquering world champion Tadej Pogacar. Although impressed by the Slovenian's undoubted quality, Nys insists there is no fear when it comes to facing the UAE Team Emirates - XRG leader. "Tadej is very friendly. He's impressive, but he wasn’t terrifying in the most recent races," Nys details. "Mind you, I’ve seen him do plenty of terrifying things before, and the chances are high he’ll do so again on Sunday. Though La Fleche Wallonne was spectacular in itself, of course."

Nys himself secured a top-10 on the Mur de Huy on Wednesday. Can he go even better in Liege? "I hope I make it up the double climb Stockeu-Haute-Levée well, because for me that's more decisive than La Redoute or Roche-aux-Faucons. If I can get over those first two more 'easily', I can ride for a very good result. If I’m already at my limit there, that will be harder," he previews.