Trek-Segafredo have announced the signing of Thibau Nys, son of cyclo-cross legend Sven Nys, on a two-year contract.
The 19-year-old already rides for Baloise Trek Lions on the cyclo-cross calendar but will turn pro on the road for Trek-Segafredo next season after joining the team as a stagiaire for the latter months of this season.
Nys dominated the cyclo-cross calendar at junior level in 2019-20, becoming world, European, and Belgian champion and also winning the UCI World Cup and Superprestige titles. Last season he stepped up to the U23 ranks, winning three rounds of the X2O Badkamers Trofee and taking bronze at the World and European Championships.
On the road, he was European U23 champion last season, and this year has already won the Flèche du Sud stage race, won in the past by Bradley Wiggins, Geraint Thomas, and Andy Schleck.
He'll combine road and cyclo-cross campaigns at Trek-Segafredo and Trek Baloise Lions, much like women's team riders Lucinda Brand and Shirin van Anrooij.
"I feel honoured to become part of Trek-Segafredo," Nys said in a team-issued press release. "I think the is the right step at the right time to get myself on the highest level.
"Riding in the WorldTour on the road has always been a dream and to realise that on a Trek bike makes it even more special. This way I can combine road racing at the highest level with racing cyclo-cross at the highest level at Baloise Trek Lions."
Trek-Segafredo general manager Luca Guercilena said that Nys was already on the road team's radar due to his links to the bike brand and his European road title.
"Thibau being part of the Trek family already put him firmly on our radar of rising talents. His cyclocross results speak for themselves, but when he won the European road title it made him even more interesting for us," he said.
"This year he has already achieved great results in the road races in which he has participated. Thibau is keen to move ahead with his road racing career and we already have good experience with balancing the dual ambitions of road/cyclocross with Lucinda and Shirin with Baloise Trek. We’re really looking forward to taking him on the next step in his career."
Nys joins a growing roster of young talent at Trek-Segafredo, including reigning U23 world champion Filippo Baroncini, former junior world champion Quinn Simmons, Giro d'Italia best young rider Juan Pedro López, and other promising riders such as Daan Hoole and Antonio Tiberi.
