Nys approaches Tour de France altitude camp differently than Evenepoel and Van Aert: "The best of both worlds"

It’s July 2022, and 19-year-old Thibau Nys is transitioning from a successful cyclocross career to the road. For the first time, he heads to a three-week altitude camp in Livigno, preparing for the Tour de l’Avenir. “I believe in the physiological effect of altitude training, but I’m not sure if it personally helps me in the build-up to a major goal,” the young Belgian said after completing his first real stint at altitude.

“I focused on endurance training there. But those ultra-intense training blocks, the kind Wout van Aert seems to handle effortlessly, are much harder for me,” Nys explained about his early altitude experience. Still, he added, “Maybe I’m jumping to conclusions too quickly based on that one camp. I’ve got a lot to learn and discover. Maybe with the right guidance, I’ll feel differently about it in the future.”

And learn he did. Thibau Nys adapted quickly, and his father Sven Nys witnessed that development firsthand. “Thibau is open to doing things the right way and is always eager to get the most out of his abilities. It took no time or effort to convince him of the scientifically proven benefits of altitude. He never hesitated to invest in it.”

Now, with multiple WorldTour wins already to his name, Nys is in the middle of the fourth altitude camp of his career. According to his father, he’s handling it well, both physically and mentally. “People may say ‘of course, it’s his job’ but the reality is you’re up there on a mountain with absolutely nothing going on. Eat, sleep, train, repeat. Day after day. It can be a lonely existence at times.”

We don’t get access to Nys’s training data, but Sven Nys notes that his son isn’t training as heavily as someone like Van Aert or Evenepoel. “Those are riders with different objectives or who are further along in their careers, which allows them to handle a much higher load.”

“The broader Tour squad of Lidl Trek is currently training in two groups,” explains Sven Nys. “On one side you have the riders focused on sprints. On the other, the climbers who need longer and more intense blocks. Thibau fits somewhere in between. He’s a fast finisher who can handle the mountains, so he benefits from both setups.”

The altitude camp is ultimately aimed at one clear goal: the Tour de France. Still, father Nys remains cautious. “To be clear, it’s not yet 100 percent confirmed that Thibau will ride the Tour. That is the plan, of course. But for the biggest race of the year, you want only the best riders at the start. We’re confident Thibau can be in that group when the final selection is made and that he’ll be ready to perform. Things are definitely looking good.”