“Maybe I could have followed Mathieu a bit longer” – Thibau Nys tinged with regret after 2nd behind Van der Poel in Benidorm

Thibau Nys left Benidorm with second place, but also with the sense that his race had been shaped by what happened before it had really begun.

“I am a bit disappointed that I was too far back in the first lap,” he said in his post-race interview afterwards. “I felt I had pretty good legs. Maybe I could have followed Mathieu a bit longer.”

That first lap decided almost everything. After an early crash by Toon Aerts split the field, Mathieu van der Poel attacked hard on the rising finish straight and rode clear after just one lap. Nys was not ideally placed when that acceleration came. By the time he had worked his way back through the chaos, the world champion was already gone.

From there, Nys’ race became about limiting the damage and controlling the fight for what was left. He gradually moved himself into the main chase group, rode consistently, and waited for the moment when the race behind Van der Poel finally opened up.

That moment came just after halfway. As attacks came and went behind the leader, Felipe Orts jumped clear and briefly rode alone. Nys bridged across to him, and the two quickly became the strongest pairing in the chase for second.

“It is his home race,” Nys said, explaining why he worked with Orts. “For me it was also the perfect moment to go. He was riding in front of me, so I thought: it is nice to take him with me. So that he could enjoy the race in front of his home crowd.”

Their cooperation reshaped the race for the podium. While others hesitated and reorganised behind them, Nys and Orts built a gap that proved just enough. With two laps to go, they had clear daylight back to the chasers.

On the final lap, Nys still had more left. He accelerated, rode away from Orts, and secured second place behind the already untouchable Van der Poel. Orts held on for third, delighting the home crowd.

For Nys, Benidorm became a race of two halves. One moment too far back in the first lap, and then a long, controlled recovery that still ended on the podium. The legs were there. The timing, he felt, was just a little late.