He was with Julian Alaphilippe the one who had to wait, this Sunday, for the final of the World Championship in Zurich. But while the former double World Champion retired prematurely following a fall, David Gaudu held out for a long time in a race crushed by Tadej Pogacar (see ranking). He even tried to accompany Remco Evenepoel in a counterattack. But the last lap was too much for the usual Groupama-FDJ rider, who came back to DirectVelo on his first experience in a World Championship
DirectVelo: What is your assessment of your first World Championship?
David Gaudu: It was hard! I don’t think I’ve ever finished a Championship so tired. I gave it my all until I exploded. I had nothing left at all. Frankly, I’m not sure there was a strategy to beat Tadej (Pogacar). We tried to shake things up quite far from the finish with the very great Pavel (Sivakov). It was pretty good, Belgium was trapped, Tadej Pogacar was making an effort up front. It was double or nothing, it was either we took him back and he had made an effort or we didn’t take him back… And we didn’t take him back. Behind, I tried to run as closely as possible, to get a head start before certain passages…
“GET OVER THIS…”
You even tried to accompany Remco Evenepoel…
I felt really good still two and a half laps from the finish, I made a lot of effort to try to get a head start while trying to tell myself not to run on everyone either. On 280 terminals, we don’t have 40,000 cartridges either. I perhaps made the mistake of wanting to follow Remco (Evenepoel) into the wall where he leaves. I told myself that it was perhaps the only way to get in on (Mathieu) Van der Poel, but I shouldn’t let him get out, especially since I was still well. What hurt me was the false level at the refueling point, I felt the cramps coming. I held on but never managed to get over it. After 250 kilometers, passing the line, I was completely done. I couldn’t do much anymore.
Did the abandonment of Julian Alaphilippe give you more responsibilities?
More responsibilities, yes and no, because it was the collective above all and finally, we found ourselves with Romain (Bardet) in the almost good move behind Tadej (Pogacar). It was sad to lose Julian in a fall, but we know it happens on the bike. At the time, it really sucks but if you are a professional you have to get past that, continue the race, stay focused and find a new strategy.
“WHEN YOU FALL ON A BONE LIKE THAT…”
What was the new plan after it was abandoned?
Initially, Julian (Alaphilippe) and I had to wait until the final to see where we were compared to the other favorites, trying to have a lot of riders from the team in front. We wanted to try to play a small number out of a group of around twenty, we were aiming more for this type of scenario. But hey, when Tadej attacks 100 miles from the finish and he manages to go to the end, there is no longer any strategy that holds. The race happened naturally. Pavel (Sivakov) started the race when we wanted him to, it was the perfect timing to do it. It had just landed and the breakaway wasn’t too far away. He manages to go out with a great group and that’s what he had to do.
It was your first World Cup… Is it a special race compared to the others?
It’s a special atmosphere, we’re already racing on the circuit even if it was very long there. We have a friendly crowd throughout the race, even when they let go at the end, people were still super friendly. It was a very good World Championship, very difficult, you had to be complete. We would have liked the jersey to be for the France team. Unfortunately when you come across a bone like that… It’s the best rider in the world who becomes World Champion, I want to say that there isn’t much else to do against him.
