'I should have taken the risk': Nys explains late gamble after third in Vuelta sprint

Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek) took plenty of encouragement from his third-place finish on stage 10 of the Vuelta a España after a chaotic finale.

The Lidl-Trek rider finished behind Bastien Tronchon (Groupama-FDJ United) and Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility) in Elche de la Sierra, with Wout van Aert fourth after Visma | Lease a Bike had controlled much of the stage in an attempt to set up the Belgian for a sprint finish. 

In the end, the Dutch team were denied in a dramatic finale by Tronchon, who took the third and biggest victory of his career. Meanwhile, Nys narrowly missed out on a first Grand Tour stage win, but took encouragement at the end of a day where he had anticipated getting into the breakaway.

“We expected a much harder battle for the break, and actually, it was my goal to be in there and try to go for the stage from the break,” Nys told TNT Sports.

Once the seven-rider breakaway formed and Visma and Cofidis kept them on a tight leash, Nys adapted and was attentive when the race threatened to split in the final 30km.

“This was one of those days where I had to perform,” he said. “I really had the legs that I wanted to have, and I felt amazingly good.”

Nys’ teammate Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) had identified the Belgian as an option, pre-stage, for the German team after the Dane admitted that he didn’t have the same “ammunition in the chamber” following a demanding but successful Tour de France. 

When Pedersen was dropped at the foot of the Puerto de Socovos inside the final 30km, Nys became the team’s primary option for what was a chaotic finale.

The Belgian believed the team executed its plan well, but the final kilometres were frantic with multiple attacks, and even under the flamme rouge when Yevgeniy Fedorov (XDS Astana) and Xabier Mikel Azparrren (Pinarello-Q36.5) almost stole the spoils. 

Nys admitted he found himself in danger of being boxed in and thus was forced to launch his effort early.

“In the last 600 metres, in the right corner, I got boxed in a little bit, and I had to start my sprint already at 550 metres from the line.

“It was not bad because I could come from behind with a lot of speed. But then I made a small mistake at like 300m to go, to try and sit down one more time and try to get some slipstream,” he explained. 

“I should have just taken the risk to maybe lose it all and get sixth, seventh or eighth, but maybe take the opportunity to win,” Nys said.

Coming close has only fuelled Nys’ hunger for success at this Vuelta.

“We came close, but I'm not satisfied yet,” he concluded.