Gaudu's fitness mystery has been going on for too long: FDJ plan in-depth medical tests to explain poor performances
Cycling
David Gaudu is supposed to be one of the leading figures at Groupama - FDJ United. But, baring few glimpses, the 29-year-old Frenchman has been largely underwhelming in his races and hasn't scored a single UCI point for three months now. As the team has lost its patience, thorough medical examinations will be carried out to get down to the bottom of Gaudu's mysterious fitness problems.
Things went south after spring
Gaudu did not kick off the new season at a visibly poor level. His 9th place on Jebel Hafeet, 8th place in Paris-Nice echelon-mared stage 4, and top-15 finishes in key stages of Volta a Catalunya would not immediately strike out as a problem existed back then.
However since the Spanish stage race, Gaudu has not been able to take a step further; instead a 5th place at 1.1 French Cup race Boucles de l'Aulne was the start to Gaudu's long-streak of gruppetto finishes and even DNFs. His most recent appearance at La Polynormande (1.1) was over after just one hour of racing...
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For Groupama - FDJ United management, this was the final drop. Gaudu will be placed out of competition after the issue causing his inability to perform at a desired level is resolved. As soon as possible, the team will search for answers, hoping to get Gaudu back on rails with view to the future where they might end up in the battle for WorldTour license (currently 20th in the ranking, trailing by almost 500 points).
The issue has to be resolved
"After a start to the season that allowed him to rebuild a solid athletic base, David is currently going through a more difficult period and has not been able to fully regain his fitness," reads the statement issued by the French team.
"To consolidate the work done in recent months and gather all the information necessary to plan the next steps, David will undergo a series of in-depth medical tests. The results will allow the team to personalize its support, both in terms of training and in defining his next competitive calendar. The team remains fully committed to supporting David during this period and helping him return to peak fitness."
Gaudu has been part of the French team for a decade now, and will continue to wear its colours until at least the end of 2027. His most outstanding results include three stage wins at the Vuelta a Espana (most recent in 2025) and a fourth place overall at the 2022 Tour de France.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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