"A gap has opened up between the peloton and me" - David Gaudu honest about his struggles

David Gaudu was a climber with a lot of potential in the early years of his career, putting in a lot of performance that briefly put him as France's biggest hope in the Grand Tours. Currently however the 29-year old is distant from his best level and from the results he's achieved in the past, something he is honest about and provides insight on.

Gaudu turned pro in 2017 and, as a pure climber, evolved well in the shadow of Thibaut Pinot to become the new leader of Groupama - FDJ. In 2020 he broke through, winning two stages at the Vuelta a España; and in 2021 he also showed his talent in the one-day races by finishing on the podium of Liège-Bastogne-Liège. In 2022, he rode to a fourth place at the Tour de France, confirming his potential as a Grand Tour rider.

In 2023 he finished between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard at Paris-Nice, but his results began to fade the year after. Rather than losing his climbing ability, he just became less consistent, specially in the mountains. He found himself at La Vuelta where he finished sixth but his moments of good form became more sparce.

In 2025 he was almost absent the entire season, aside from a stage win at the Tour of Oman; and an uphill sprint finish at the Vuelta a España where he beat Mads Pedersen and Jonas Vingegaard. Glimpses of brilliancy, but one that is now rarely seen.

In 2026 it has been even more complicated, and at the Tour de Romandie he hasn't been able to make a comeback. “I didn’t feel good. It was tough. But I move on pretty quickly. I can forget a day like that,” Gaudu shared with DirectVelo after stage 1 of the Swiss race. “I’m struggling to get back to my best. I practically had a blank year last year. It doesn’t just come back like that".

Gaudu showed brief positive signs at Paris-Nice, but they did not last. Three days deep into Romandie, he has dropped out of GC contention and was also not in contention for the only non-mountainous stage. "I lost a lot of time, and we know the peloton is evolving faster and faster. A gap has opened up between the peloton and me," he admits. "There were some good things this year, unfortunately, it’s not enough.”

Despite this, he knows patient is key, and he cannot enter a dark place because of his inconsistencies. “I’m in good spirits. You have to be patient, you wait, you work, you stay quiet, and you move forward. I’m really enjoying training; the feeling is good. I’m happy on my bike. But it’s the results that count, and unfortunately, I haven’t yet reached 100% fitness.”

“It’s part of a cyclist’s life. I’ve had several tough seasons in recent years. Each time, you fall behind and have to make up for lost time," he adds. "It will come back when it’s meant to. You have to keep believing and keep working. That’s how you’ll turn things around. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t come back.”

Gaudu will race the Tour de France, but this time around he will follow a less traditional path. It is not yet decided whether he will race the Tour de Suisse or Tour Auverge - Rhõne Alpes at all; but what he will race are some smaller level explosive races in Bretagne. The GP du Morbihan, Tour du Finistère and Boucles de l'Aulne will provide opportunities for Gaudu to get his groove back.

“I’m going there to achieve the best possible result, why not the win? That’s my mindset," he concluded.