"A team's life doesn't end with the Tour de France" - Madiot laments but supports David Gaudu's decision to skip Tour
Cycling
David Gaudu has been struggling to achieve good form and after a very disappointing Giro d'Italia, he's also not been able to improve to the level he hoped for. Hence he opted out of the Tour de France, a decision understood by Groupama-FDJ manager Marc Madiot.
"He's been constantly stuck in pitfalls, crashes, and downward spirals. We tried to gradually recover in races, to get back on track at the Giro, but he fell back again," Madiot said in an interview with RMC Sport.
"For the Tour, you have to be at 100%. Rather than chasing time, we're doing a reset. The goal is to get him back to his best for the Vuelta and the rest of the season, all the way to China."
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In the past Gaudu has gotten very good form at the Vuelta a España, which should also have a more modest startlist in which he could fight for stronger results. Last year, after being completely absent from the action at the Tour, he went on to finish the Vuelta in sixth place and then win the queen stage of the Tour de Luxembourg - with a Top10 at Il Lombardia wrapping up a successful season finale.
Groupama will still head to the Tour with a highly promising team including Romain Grégoire, Valentin Madouas and Guillaume Martin amongst others and can aim for the same objectives even without the 28-year old. "A team's life doesn't end with the Tour de France. We want to get David back to his best, but in good conditions and without chasing lost time," Madiot concluded.
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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