Lidl-Trek had to guide Thibau Nys in his first breakaway ever to the finish: "We had a good plan"

Thibau Nys pulled off what can only be described as a masterstroke during the Tour de Romandie, securing his first WorldTour victory. Competing for Lidl-Trek, Nys managed to outpace the fast-approaching peloton on an uphill finish after a long day leading from the front.

“This is a moment I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” Nys shared during a post-race interview. “It's hard to put into words. To many, it might seem like just another win, but for me, it's the result of intense effort and a significant milestone.”

Team management guided Nys through the final corners

This victory came after just his third racing day of the season. Despite his youth and limited experience, Nys had managed an 18th place in the prologue and a 13th in the first stage. "Yesterday, I was disappointed not to show my good form when I felt very strong. Today, we had a solid plan to get into the breakaway."

And ultimately, they succeeded. "I joined at a good time. I tried to conserve as much energy as possible, but I didn’t know what to expect. It was my first time in an early breakaway. I also didn’t know exactly how the finale would play out, with all those corners. So I really have to thank the team, because they guided me through the finale and the last corners."

Will Nys still be in yellow after Friday's time trial?

On the challenging uphill finish of the Swiss stage race, the Flemish rider beat Andrea Vendrame (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team) in a sprint. "If you start thinking about how I can win, you can also suddenly lose everything. So, I tried to stay cool and keep doing everything right," said Nys.

In addition to winning the stage, Sven Nys’s son is now also the leader in the general classification, which means he will wear the yellow leader's jersey during Friday's time trial. Can the cyclo-cross racer maintain the lead after the time trial? Nys thinks it will be difficult. "My time trial isn't that great yet, but I'm going to enjoy it."