Giro GC and stage wins at the Tour - David Gaudu unveils main plan for 2025

David Gaudu is perhaps France's most important stage-racer at the moment and so it comes as big news that the Groupama - FDJ rider will be splitting it's focus away from the Grand Boucle. For the first time in his career, the 28-year old will be racing the Giro d'Italia and focusing on the overall classification, whilst he is certain to then aim for stage wins at the Tour de France afterwards.

“In the 2023 season I had a great start, then I had a bang in the finale of last year. I much prefer the second option,” Gaudu said in an interview with L’Equipe. What he means by the second option was his terrific Vuelta a España performance, in which he finished sixth in the overall classification, having had a brilliant final week which saw him finally back in contention for the top spots of a Grand Tour. This was followed by a stage win at the Tour de Luxembourg and Top10 at Il Lombardia, which got the confidence back in the Frenchman's legs.

His coach Julien Pinot is equally confident that the Frenchman has a good chance of performing well at the Corsa Rosa. “He can be in the fight for the general classification". He will be joined by the likes of Red Bull's Primoz Roglic, Bahrain - Victorious' Antonio Tiberi, Israel - Premier Tech's Derek Gee, UAE Team Emirates - XRG's Adam Yates and Juan Ayuso among others who have already confirmed their main GC goal in Italy.

Gaudu will start his season at some lower level races where he is hoping to keep his good streak of results going, and perhaps net a few more wins. He will begin his 2025 campaign at the Muscat Classic followed by the Tour of Oman, both in the middle east, before returning to Europe There he will race the Classic Var and Tour des Alpes Maritimes, before racing Strade Bianche and then Tirreno-Adriatico where he can aim for a strong GC result.

After some rest and an altitude camp, it is assumed that he won't race for over a month, and will come back to the peloton at the Tour de Romandie, which comes in the weeks prior to the Giro where he will attempt to go for the pink jersey.