The first summit finish of the 2022 Tour de France and 25-year-old David Gaudu is so far living up to the hopes of his French team and nation, rising on the overall leader board as he stuck close to the top contenders in the climbing test.
“Eventually, it’s a good day,” said the Groupama-FDJ rider. “We are still on track for the goal we set ourselves, about 20 seconds off the podium.”
The French climber came over the line in sixth place on the stage 7 finish atop La Super Planche des Belles Filles, which was enough to take him from tenth to fifth overall. Gaudu was shepherded by teammate Michael Storer until the last kilometre, then followed in a select group as race leader Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) took control and ramped up the pace.
Gaudu tailed off through the final 300m as Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) fought for the stage win but didn’t lose much time to the duo, finishing just 19 seconds back. On the overall that put him 1:31 behind GC leader Pogačar, less than a minute behind second-placed Vingegaard, just 21 seconds away from Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) in third and 13 seconds behind Adam Yates (Ineos Grenadiers).
“I had good feelings, not the best ever, but they were ok,” said Gaudu. “The team did a great job, and everyone was there. To have the public behind you, hear it shouting ‘Allez Thibaut, Allez David’, that’s really nice.
“I am fifth among the favourites, but I must stay focused. The Tour has only just begun, this was only the first test. We are very happy with the start of the Tour, but the hardest part is coming, and everything can still happen.”
Gaudu finished 11th at the Tour de France last year, entering the race as Groupama-FDJ’s supported rider for the first time as the usual pick for that role, Thibaut Pinot, was still battling after his 2020 crash at the race. This year Pinot is back, but only just having cleared COVID-19, and Gaudu is clearly the rider from the team best positioned for the GC.
“David did a great climb,” said directeur sportif Philippe Mauduit. “He was where we expected him to be. We can see that he is clearly among the best in this kind of finish. We shouldn’t get too enthusiastic already, we should keep our feet on the ground, but the guys again did the stage we expected of them, and we are confident.”
Pinot’s goal for the stage in home territory, on a day which marked ten years from his first stage victory at the Grand Tour, was to try and get in the break and go for another win but there was no easy way into that front group and Pinot didn’t get his chance, finishing 31st on the day.
“The atmosphere was magical, as always,” said Pinot. “The public was up to the task. I wasn’t, it’s a shame, but I want to thank them for their support. It was another great moment for me.”
“I am surely disappointed as I always hope for better, but I knew that I was not yet at 100%. I still need a few days. I also spent a lot of energy in the first hour and I paid for it in the final. However, the most important thing is that David did a good climb, he is still in the mix, so everything is going well for us.”
The team, too, is optimistic that while Pinot wasn’t on the charge in the first summit finish of the race, he will be later.
“Thibaut hasn’t found his complete form yet, which is normal after the COVID, but I think that we will see a great Pinot in the Alps and in the Pyrenees,” said team manager Marc Madiot.
