Nys does not reveal his complete program yet: "The thing is: they've never done that at the team"

"Which grand tour will Thibau ride? I hope the Tour de France." Sports manager Steven de Jongh states. Nys previously indicated that the Tour is best combined with his full cyclo-cross schedule in terms of timing. 1 + 1 = .... still 1 because no decisions have been made - at least for the outside world - in the Lidl-Trek camp. At least for Nys, since Jonathan Milan, his sprint train, and Mattias Skjelmose have already been announced for the Grand Départ in Lille on July 5.

"I'm not allowed to say it yet, but that's because I don't know myself," Nys said. "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. 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 he would like to explain further. "I never said that I don't want to ride the Tour. That is important because I would be the last to step forward: hey guys, I 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."

Where is the problem? "The team supports me, but the thing is, they have never done that before, letting someone make him in the Tour de France. And it just has to fit the picture because the spots on the tour are expensive. In the Vuelta, you can probably take some days off. Still, in the Tour, you can't just ride in between to get some experience," said Nys, whose spring program consists of the GP Indurain (April 5), the Tour of the Basque Country, Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne, maybe Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Eschborn-Frankfurt.

So, does Sven's son feel he has matters in his own hands? "No," is the first answer, only to return to that. "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; that's the point. I don't see myself with my 65 kilograms just sitting in front of Jonathan Milan anyway. I'm willing to do any work, but I'm not someone who will control the breakaway. And I realize that the Tour is also a bit different: everyone is at the top of their game there."

Nys realizes that the chances for a top result may be greatest in the Flèche Wallonne. "But I'm not going to ride the Amstel to have something left over for the Flèche Wallonne. Did Mattias Skjelmose say it will be down to me in Huy? Seriously? I also don't think it will be the hardest race to start with two leaders. It's a fair final; Mattias, in my opinion, will not have to pull away for me. But it's nice to hear he has so much confidence in me," Nys noted with a big smile.

"Tadej Pogacar also starts there. How will he compete there? You don't know. He might already turn things upside down before we start climbing or even the lap before. The effort on the Mur de Huy should suit me well, but others are at the top of the niche. It's not like I have much of a reference either,' clarifies the puncher, who was so successful last year and has yet to ride a spring classic in his career. 'We also considered poking around the Flemish spring, but then it became the GP Indurain. Because it's still more in the build-up phase. But eventually, I want to try it, for sure," he says confidently.

Later in the season, there is also a World Championships in Rwanda, for which the Belgian national coach has already put Nys forward as a possible candidate. "I think it will come too late, and the European Championship comes even later. If I don't make the selection in Zurich last year, it makes little sense to focus on the World Championships in Rwanda now if it's even more challenging. At altitude, too. I haven't completely put it out of my mind, but you must add it."

Intelligent as he is and speaks, Nys reveals that he thinks he knows his place in the current peloton. "I also mostly know what I can't do, but I can still surprise myself. In the longer efforts, perhaps. Or more towards the Flemish work. They will think the same with the team; I feel very much at home here. Take my relationship with Mathias Vacek. That is my MVP from last year, and I would love to give something back. I'm also still learning, like Eschborn-Frankfurt or GP Gippingen last year. Where I got caught and dropped out before the finish. And then in Poland, I went on a bit earlier," states the triple-stage winner of that WorldTour race.

"That keeps going on, and that's how I get to my limits. Tactically and in terms of my body, I'm already far, I think. To get back to a grand tour, if you come out well there, that can just give an extra percent." concluded the winner of the cyclo-cross race in Benidorm.