Thibau Nys hopes for a Grand Tour debut, but it might not fit his team's plans: "Tour de France would suit me best"

The European cyclocross champion Thibau Nys already established himself nicely in the road peloton last season and so it's the ideal time to think about riding a Grand Tour in 2025. But here comes the catch. Due to Nys' cyclocross goals only Tour de France actually fits his agenda. But is Lidl-Trek going to send Nys to the Grande Boucle?

"I'm not allowed to say it yet, but that's because I don't know myself," Nys said at IDLProCycling.com. "There is still a chance I will ride the Tour de France. But nothing has been decided yet. What causes that? It depends on the last places to be filled out, sponsor interests, and the form that has to be good."

Nys would in any case like to tick off a Grand Tour debut in 2025. However it's quite clear if there's one that would fully fit both; his needs and team's vision: "What I do know is that the Giro is not an option. So it will be Tour de France or Vuelta a Espana. With the Vuelta, you can also enter the cyclo-cross season with a boost, which can also turn out wrong. So every grand tour has its pros and cons."

Nys hinted earlier that the tour should suit him in terms of date, but it's also not easy to make the cut for the prominent race. "I never said that I don't want to ride the Tour. In terms of timing, the Tour would suit me best; that was it. In that respect, the talks with Lidl-Trek are also honest and open."

"If I can outperform myself in the spring, I might be in control. However, sponsor interests also come into play: What do they want to see done in a tour? So that's the part I have little to say about. Do they want to go more for the GC? Still, bet on that sprint train? Those could be places that are 'taken' from me."