David Gaudu has shown good signs in his opening stage race of 2025. Ultimately though, the general classification win proved illusive as the French leader of Groupama - FDJ lost the Red Jersey on the final climb of the final stage, to pass on the race lead to Adam Yates.
"When you have the leader's jersey in the morning and you lose it on the last stage, it's obviously disappointing," reflected Gaudu post-stage, in quotes collected by L'Equipe, having finished 3rd on stage 5 behind Yates and Valentin Paret-Peintre. " I gave it my all. I fought hard today and in the end I gave up. I completely exploded in the last kilometre. If there'd been a one-second gap overall, there would have been a lot of frustration, but there's nothing to say about that. I blew the engine. They were stronger than me. I can only bow my head and say well done to them."
"I didn't have the best feeling in my life but at the foot of Green Mountain, I was still going well. On courses like this, it's hard to tell before the final climb. Maybe I went so deep two days ago (on stage 3, which he won) that I haven't really recovered from that day yet," adds Gaudu, looking for explanations. "Jay Vine's relay really, really hurt me. When Yates attacked for the first time, I managed to come back. After that, I tried to go over the top. I closed my mouth, I held back the pain, I said to myself: come on, give them a headache, maybe it'll go away. Well, it didn't."
Nevertheless, there is reason to be optimistic for Gaudu as he leaves Oman. "Yes, I'm really sorry for the team that I didn't manage to keep the jersey, but I gave it my all. I couldn't have given any more. I finished really badly again today but all in all, the week's results are good," he concludes. "We're on the podium, I've opened my victory counter this year, but I'd have liked the icing on the cake. I've already finished 2nd in Paris-Nice behind Tadej Pogacar (in 2023) but I've never won an overall in the pros. It won't happen this week but I hope to get there one day."
1 | Yates Adam | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | 21:13:18 |
2 | Paret-Peintre Valentin | Soudal Quick-Step | + 06 |
3 | Gaudu David | Groupama-FDJ | + 39 |
4 | Howson Damien | Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | + 01:07 |
5 | Uijtdebroeks Cian | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 01:16 |
6 | Harper Chris | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 01:22 |
7 | Poels Wout | XDS Astana Team | + 01:23 |
8 | Svestad-Bårdseng Embret | ARKEA-B&B HOTELS | + 01:27 |
9 | Brenner Marco | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 01:37 |
10 | Dalby Simon | Uno-X Mobility | + 02:05 |
11 | Guerreiro Ruben | Movistar Team | + 02:08 |
12 | Zeray Nahom | JCL Team Ukyo | + 02:12 |
13 | Badilatti Matteo | Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | + 02:26 |
14 | Aparicio Mario | Burgos Burpellet BH | + 02:27 |
15 | de la Cruz David | Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | + 02:36 |
16 | Vermaerke Kevin | Team Picnic PostNL | + 02:45 |
17 | Rondel Mathys | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 03:24 |
18 | Warbasse Lawrence | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 03:29 |
19 | van Engelen Adne | Terengganu Cycling Team | + 03:33 |
20 | Gesbert Elie | ARKEA-B&B HOTELS | + 03:39 |
21 | Mulubrhan Henok | XDS Astana Team | + 03:56 |
22 | Garofoli Gianmarco | Soudal Quick-Step | + 03:59 |
23 | Majka Rafal | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 04:29 |
24 | Fancellu Alessandro | JCL Team Ukyo | + 04:32 |
25 | Budiak Anatolii | Terengganu Cycling Team | + 04:44 |
26 | Bregnhøj Mathias | Terengganu Cycling Team | + 04:50 |
27 | Faura José Luis | Burgos Burpellet BH | + 04:59 |
28 | Barguil Warren | Team Picnic PostNL | + 05:00 |
29 | Garcia Carlos | Burgos Burpellet BH | + 05:03 |
30 | Flynn Sean | Team Picnic PostNL | + 05:29 |
31 | Azparren Xabier | Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | + 05:42 |
32 | Charmig Anthon | XDS Astana Team | + 05:51 |
33 | Delgado David | Burgos Burpellet BH | + 06:16 |
34 | Vansevenant Mauri | Soudal Quick-Step | + 06:48 |
35 | Kruijswijk Steven | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 07:19 |
36 | Garibbo Nicolo | JCL Team Ukyo | + 08:25 |
37 | Vervaeke Louis | Soudal Quick-Step | + 08:25 |
38 | Mattio Pietro | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 08:30 |
39 | De Pretto Davide | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 09:03 |
40 | García Cortina Iván | Movistar Team | + 09:16 |
41 | Braz Afonso Clément | Groupama-FDJ | + 09:16 |
42 | Vine Jay | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 09:37 |
43 | Engelhardt Felix | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 11:37 |
44 | Ries Michel | ARKEA-B&B HOTELS | + 12:02 |
45 | Kulset Magnus | Uno-X Mobility | + 13:13 |
46 | Hopkins Dylan | Roojai Insurance | + 13:25 |
47 | Germani Lorenzo | Groupama-FDJ | + 13:54 |
48 | Løland Sakarias Koller | Uno-X Mobility | + 14:40 |
49 | Donnenwirth Tom | Groupama-FDJ | + 16:15 |
50 | Hellemose Asbjørn | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 16:30 |
51 | Capiot Amaury | ARKEA-B&B HOTELS | + 16:42 |
52 | Eriksson Lucas | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 16:44 |
53 | Masuda Nariyuki | JCL Team Ukyo | + 17:15 |
54 | Madouas Valentin | Groupama-FDJ | + 17:41 |
55 | Dhondt Robbe | Team Picnic PostNL | + 18:00 |
56 | Fayolle Jean-Loup | ARKEA-B&B HOTELS | + 18:01 |
57 | Jousseaume Alan | Team TotalEnergies | + 18:16 |
58 | Biermans Jenthe | ARKEA-B&B HOTELS | + 18:42 |
59 | Eyob Metkel | Terengganu Cycling Team | + 18:44 |
60 | Camprubí Marcel | Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | + 18:56 |
61 | Molard Rudy | Groupama-FDJ | + 19:02 |
62 | Pedersen Henrik | Uno-X Mobility | + 19:05 |
63 | Aular Orluis | Movistar Team | + 21:16 |
64 | Berhe Welay | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 21:20 |
65 | Pluimers Rick | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 21:50 |
66 | Kanter Max | XDS Astana Team | + 21:54 |
67 | Paleni Enzo | Groupama-FDJ | + 22:19 |
68 | Manzin Lorrenzo | Team TotalEnergies | + 22:52 |
69 | Weiss Fabian | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 23:13 |
70 | Hayter Ethan | Soudal Quick-Step | + 23:42 |
71 | Reinderink Pepijn | Soudal Quick-Step | + 26:03 |
72 | Boulahoite Rayan | Team TotalEnergies | + 26:21 |
73 | Cabedo Hernandez Marc | JCL Team Ukyo | + 27:21 |
74 | Double Paul | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 27:33 |
75 | Roosen Timo | Team Picnic PostNL | + 27:40 |
76 | Soupe Geoffrey | Team TotalEnergies | + 27:57 |
77 | Jeannière Emilien | Team TotalEnergies | + 28:01 |
78 | Boúglas Georgios | Burgos Burpellet BH | + 28:57 |
79 | Nizzolo Giacomo | Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | + 30:45 |
80 | Fredheim Stian | Uno-X Mobility | + 31:09 |
81 | Warlop Jordi | Soudal Quick-Step | + 31:25 |
82 | Behrens Niklas | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 31:37 |
83 | Álvarez Rodrigo | Burgos Burpellet BH | + 31:51 |
84 | D'Amato Andrea | JCL Team Ukyo | + 34:46 |
85 | Vermeersch Florian | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 34:51 |
86 | Laengen Vegard Stake | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 35:08 |
87 | Lozouet Léandre | ARKEA-B&B HOTELS | + 36:00 |
88 | Miltiadis Andreas | Roojai Insurance | + 36:17 |
89 | Bittner Pavel | Team Picnic PostNL | + 36:22 |
90 | Vinokurov Nicolas | XDS Astana Team | + 36:38 |
91 | Turgis Anthony | Team TotalEnergies | + 37:07 |
92 | Naberman Tim | Team Picnic PostNL | + 37:56 |
93 | Kooij Olav | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 39:57 |
94 | McLay Daniel | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 40:03 |
95 | Quick Blake | Roojai Insurance | + 40:33 |
96 | Wallin Rasmus Bøgh | Uno-X Mobility | + 40:55 |
97 | Giaimi Luca | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 41:48 |
98 | Cimolai Davide | Movistar Team | + 42:03 |
99 | Richards Kane | Roojai Insurance | + 42:57 |
100 | Blikra Erlend | Uno-X Mobility | + 45:37 |
101 | Bettles Carter | Roojai Insurance | + 47:02 |
102 | Phonarjthan Patompob | Roojai Insurance | + 47:20 |
103 | Alrahbi Said | Oman | + 50:15 |
104 | Koyama Tomoya | Burgos Burpellet BH | + 52:03 |
105 | Mazuki Fakhruddin | Terengganu Cycling Team | + 52:49 |
106 | Thimachai Kongphob | Roojai Insurance | + 52:55 |
107 | Mohd Shabri Muhammad Haizam | Terengganu Cycling Team | + 55:46 |
108 | Alyaqoobi Abdulrahman | Oman | + 01:00:27 |
109 | Al Riyami Mazin | Oman | + 01:00:41 |
110 | Al-Wahibi Mohammed | Oman | + 01:01:07 |
— Équipe Cycliste Groupama-FDJ (@GroupamaFDJ) February 12, 2025