David Gaudu "will take a few more days off" after Paris-Nice illness and fracture

Despite racing in his home country, Paris-Nice offered nothing but mishaps for David Gaudu as he was eyeing a tilt at the overall classification. The Frenchman went in with high ambitions as he had good form coming into the race, but abandoned it sick and with an unidentified fracture from his early crash.

"I fell during Paris-Nice, on the stage to Orléans, during the echelons. A rider fell in front of me, I couldn't avoid him. I had a big pain in my back at the time but it went away gradually. I got to the finish of the stage: as soon as I could pedal, I said to myself, I'm going! On the morning of the time trial, I had X-rays which revealed nothing", Gaudu said. After a successful start to the season where he won a stage at the Volta ao Algarve, Gaudu headed to Paris-Nice as one of the main GC contenders. However, things took a turn for the worst very early as he crashed and arrived dead last in stage two in the crosswinds. Although he avoided a fracture, he later - like a grand part of the peloton - fell ill.

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Although he continued in the race, he abandoned at the start of the final day after it being obvious he didn't have the legs to chase a result. "With the team, we decided to continue because I wanted to shine on the last weekend. Finally, on Saturday evening we decided not to race the next day, as the pain was still there. This week, the MRI revealed a small fracture. In my program I was supposed to be off at this time, so I will take a few more days off before I start training again. There is nothing to worry about."

With a small fracture identified, Gaudu will take extra rest to recover from all the harm his body has went through in the last couple of weeks. It is far from ideal for his preparation that is now guided towards the Ardennes classics where he will be looking to shine. The Frenchman should return to training soon, and later to competition in early April at the Itzulia Basque Country where last year he won the queen stage.