Nys plays it cool ahead of Ardennes: "Never felt better" and "It’s on my mind every day"

Earlier this month, Nys spoke about his ambitions for the spring. It was clear that his goal in the Ardennes classics was to win. "It's the first time I want to be good in those classics, starting with the Amstel. It's a little earlier than I started the last two seasons. But I feel like I have the best build-up possible coming into my first race," he says in a video by Trek Race Shop.

So, what should we expect from this explosive rider? "I've never been better. But that's no guarantee of a victory in a classic or of a good result. But that's not what's on my mind. I want to be the best version of myself, and I know I might ride my best possible race in the Flèche Wallonne or the Amstel Gold Race and still get dropped. Then that's how it is, and I can learn from it for the coming years."

The Flèche Wallonne is high on Nys' list, but the Belgian championship in Binche is also a goal. Winning the tricolor would be something. "But I still don't feel I must win those races to be satisfied with the season. It would be a very big step up. I'm going to start with the mindset of trying to win. I'm not going to say that I will win or that I can only be satisfied with that, but you have to try to be ready for it."

Thanks to his winter training, Nys' explosiveness will certainly contribute to his performance. However, this discipline also has its disadvantages. "I think the road is helping cyclo-cross, and cyclo-cross is helping the road quite a lot, to be honest, but you also miss some long hours in December and January to profit from that at the beginning of the road season. It could be nice in the future, to have more time for those long training rides in winter. But all the intensity, all the explosiveness, and VO2 max things, you get that in cyclo-cross."

The Mur de Huy has been Sven Nys' son's favorite climb since he was a child. But even though he has confidence in his own abilities, he knows that's not enough. 'It's going to be very difficult. You have to be at your best to have a chance in that last minute, half a minute. But the second-to-last climb is also difficult. If you're already at your limit there, it's hard to get some oxygen back into your legs.”

What's more, some riders at the start know what it's like to pace themselves on the extremely tough final stretches. “I don't have any experience in this kind of race. I know the climb, my form, and what I can do in such an effort, but not compared to the guys who have already performed in this race. I have no reference points; it's like going in blind. But I am confident,” he says with a wink.

The Flèche Wallonne has become something of an obsession. "To be honest, it's on my mind every day," Nys confesses, a little ashamed. "I visualize all the scenarios, some more realistic than others. It's always on my mind, and I've been looking forward to it for a long time. It would be great to get close to what I have in my head." Next Wednesday, he will be joined in Wallonia by Mattais Skjelmose, who finished second in 2023. But first, the Amstel Gold Race will be this Sunday.