Nys discusses his new Norwegian victory and is congratulated by comeback-kid Van Aert after the finish

Thibau Nys managed to clinch the opening stage of the Tour of Norway, the race in which he secured his first pro victory last year, in an extremely beautiful (but also unusual) way. Following a sort of late duo attack with Lidl-Trek teammate Mathias Vacek, the young Flemish rider skillfully completed his move shortly thereafter.

"I'm not at all focused on whether I'll go for the overall classification here," Nys responded to the somewhat surprising opening question of the flash interview. "I'm just extremely happy with the victory I've achieved here."

Will Nys aim for the overall classification in Norway?

"However, we are facing an incredibly tough finale on day two," the young man in top form said, clearly already with the next stage on his mind. "It might be a bit too challenging for me. But on the other hand, I didn't necessarily expect to win on a long climb in Hungary either," he refers to his impressive performance a few weeks earlier.

Nys then said that he will see how things go on Friday, and whether he can compete in the climbing frenzy. "I certainly don't expect to contend for the stage win, although things can always turn out better than expected. I'm just going to give it my all and then we'll see where we end up. Maybe with a bit of luck, I can still go for the overall classification."

Nys battled issue with his respiratory system, but 'simply' stands his ground in Scandinavia

Nys's victory is somewhat notable, as he had mentioned in a short preview of the Norwegian stage race that he was dealing with a minor health issue. "I've been fighting something in my respiratory system for the past few days, but I definitely won't use that as an excuse. I'm fit enough to be at the starting line," he maintained cautiously in that conversation.

After his victory, Nys got a brief but powerful congratulations from Wout van Aert, for whom the Tour of Norway serves as his comeback race. The organization shared the brief but nice footage on X.

Video: Van Aert congratulates Nys after win in Norway