When the lead-out is so good it drops the whole race 🔥 The @LidlTrek duo of Mathias Vacek and Thibau Nys played Stage 1 at the Tour of Norway perfectly. Watch Tour of Norway highlights now: goto.roadcode.cc/rcx ____________ 🇳🇴 #ToN24
The "natural connection" between Thibau Nys and Mathias Vacek, explained by the Czech
CyclingThursday, 13 June 2024 at 09:11
Soren Waerenskjold was, as expected, the winner of the opening time trial in the Baloise Belgium Tour on Wednesday, but it was somewhat surprising to see Mathias Vacek finishing second. The Czech champion has been doing crucial work for Thibau Nys in recent weeks, but now gets to do his own thing in the homeland of his leader.
Did Vacek expect this performance himself? "I've been working a lot on my time trialing in recent months. I haven't competed in many, the last one was actually in the Algarve, but this allowed me to prepare well. I'm in good form and have significantly improved compared to last year,"
he concluded happily afterwards in conversation with IDLProCycling.com.
"The second place stings a bit, but I gave it my all. I can't blame myself. Maybe I should have gone a bit slower in the first part, so I would have had an extra gear in the second part. But that’s hindsight. I want to make up the time I’m behind as quickly as possible," said the man who is also excellent in hilly terrain. He recently finished fourth in the Tour of Norway.
Vacek knows winner Waerenskjold from their time in the under-23 category. At the U23 World Championships time trial in 2022, won by the Norwegian, Vacek himself finished ninth. "Soren is a strong guy, who knows how to pace his time trials well. He rode the second part much faster, so all I can do is congratulate him. I’ll need to work on my time trials," he quipped.
Vacek on working together with Nys: "We know each other's limits"
The Czech's strong time trial is the latest success for the riders of Lidl-Trek, which invested heavily last winter following the arrival of new sponsor Lidl. "We've been working hard on time trials with the team. There's been a lot of testing during training camps, and it's starting to pay off. Nowadays, it's all about the details."
The 22-year-old from Central Europe has already helped Nys to victories in Norway and Romandy, particularly impressing in the former race. "Thibau and I have a natural connection. We're the same age but aren't competitive towards each other. I'm always happy for him, like when he won in the Tour of Switzerland," said the exemplary teammate.
So what makes them such a successful duo? "When we're together, we're always highly motivated to do our best. We know each other's limits well, so we can often execute our plans effectively. It’s really great. Thibau is mentally very strong and a great leader. He’s gaining more experience as he ages, but he's already very skilled and always has a healthy dose of confidence."
Il Lombardia 2024
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Latest Comments
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024
- This is not a gravel race. UCI fail, from the surface they are on to team tactics. In what country was the first "gravel race" in what country is the most popular gravel race? Go with the race model that created the discipline.
Barnes127411-10-2024 - And don't forget he has now won 4 of the big 10 races (Grand tours, Monuments and WC/OG) in one year with a chance to make that 5. (5 has only been done once before)Joostmehrtens05-10-2024