Tour of Italy | Prudent, David Gaudu gives “appointment in two weeks”

He had obviously imagined something else. In his wildest dreams, David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) tackled his first round in Italy in full confidence. This winter, the Breton exiled in Corsica for a week of work between Christmas and New Year’s day undoubtedly hoped to surf his very good season to put all the seeds behind him, all the galleys. Unfortunately, the catchphrase resumed its throbbing rhythm and Gaudu still had to review its plans … and its ambitions. It is in the vagueness that he will discover the Giro, a feeling that he shared immediately in front of the press on Wednesday.

To Oman, however, the first milestone of a program he had wanted to stop locking himself up in novice habits to his progression, it all started perfectly. Gaudu offering Adam Yates, the lieutenant of Tadej Pogacar at UAE Emirates-XRG. A success, a big smile and that’s for the “plus” side of his year 2025. In the “minus” department, falls, always falls. “”There is bad luckhe notes before listing. I fall because of a cat, there is a massive fall in the peloton that I cannot avoid and I fall back behind. There, it’s totally my fault“.

It is therefore with 15 days of racing that Gaudu arrives on the Giro, as much to say a straw and his recent Tour of Romandie (30th of the general) proves that he is far from the level he could covet even if he saw him positive in the Swiss race, where he was “hook every day“. In the galaxy of contenders for the podium, a Gaudu of the big days would not make a task on this Giro but this Gaudu is not even close to coming back and besides the Breton is careful not to place itself in a hierarchy which he considers dense despite the absences of Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard or Remco Evenepoel.

However, do not count on him to abandon any hope of appearing in the general classification. If he counts well “burst“On the Giro, a race that all the runners have portrayed him as much more fun than the Tour de France, the leader of the Groupama-FDJ first wants to know where he is before deciding what he is going to do with his three weeks.”Maybe I will be offside at the end of the first week“, he prophesies almost.

To the question of whether it is not too difficult to approach a Giro in which he put a lot of hope without all of his means, the Breton sweeps away from a backhand. If he mourned something, these are all these falls. Understand that he learned to leave them behind. To tell the truth, Gaudu has such an experience in the field … “We know that the Giro will play in the 3rd week for favorites and leadersassures the 28 -year -old runner. I want to tell you ‘go in two weeks’ to find out whether or not mourning is made“.

With a particular route which brings together most of the difficulties, at least in the mountains, in the third week, the Giro can be a boon for a Gaudu who still runs after the form and who certainly cannot hope to shine overly on the first half of the race. “”We are not going to lie, we never catch up with lost time but it’s part of a cyclist’s seasonsays Breton. I think I have experience now for the past two years to know how to go through these trials and know how to bounce back“.

On the last Vuelta, Gaudu had shone in the third week, going back to general and missing a victory. Flying when others shoot their tongues is another of its (good) habits. In 2020, he had offered two bouquets out of the 11th and 17 stages. The Tour de France 2021 had seen him finished 4th at the top of the Portet, among the best, when he had built his 4th final place on an end on the side the following year. If all the stars align, David Gaudu will have opportunities in this Giro. This will demand a little patience and a bit of luck.