"I completely exploded in the last kilometre" - David Gaudu dramatically loses Tour of Oman lead on final stage

Cycling
Wednesday, 12 February 2025 at 16:45
davidgaudu

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."

Tour of Oman 2025 - Final GC Standings

1Yates AdamUAE Team Emirates-XRG21:13:18
2Paret-Peintre ValentinSoudal Quick-Step+ 06
3Gaudu DavidGroupama-FDJ+ 39
4Howson DamienQ36.5 Pro Cycling Team+ 01:07
5Uijtdebroeks CianTeam Visma | Lease a Bike+ 01:16
6Harper ChrisTeam Jayco-AlUla+ 01:22
7Poels WoutXDS Astana Team+ 01:23
8Svestad-Bårdseng EmbretARKEA-B&B HOTELS+ 01:27
9Brenner MarcoTudor Pro Cycling Team+ 01:37
10Dalby SimonUno-X Mobility+ 02:05
11Guerreiro RubenMovistar Team+ 02:08
12Zeray NahomJCL Team Ukyo+ 02:12
13Badilatti MatteoQ36.5 Pro Cycling Team+ 02:26
14Aparicio MarioBurgos Burpellet BH+ 02:27
15de la Cruz DavidQ36.5 Pro Cycling Team+ 02:36
16Vermaerke KevinTeam Picnic PostNL+ 02:45
17Rondel MathysTudor Pro Cycling Team+ 03:24
18Warbasse LawrenceTudor Pro Cycling Team+ 03:29
19van Engelen AdneTerengganu Cycling Team+ 03:33
20Gesbert ElieARKEA-B&B HOTELS+ 03:39
21Mulubrhan HenokXDS Astana Team+ 03:56
22Garofoli GianmarcoSoudal Quick-Step+ 03:59
23Majka RafalUAE Team Emirates-XRG+ 04:29
24Fancellu AlessandroJCL Team Ukyo+ 04:32
25Budiak AnatoliiTerengganu Cycling Team+ 04:44
26Bregnhøj MathiasTerengganu Cycling Team+ 04:50
27Faura José LuisBurgos Burpellet BH+ 04:59
28Barguil WarrenTeam Picnic PostNL+ 05:00
29Garcia CarlosBurgos Burpellet BH+ 05:03
30Flynn SeanTeam Picnic PostNL+ 05:29
31Azparren XabierQ36.5 Pro Cycling Team+ 05:42
32Charmig AnthonXDS Astana Team+ 05:51
33Delgado DavidBurgos Burpellet BH+ 06:16
34Vansevenant MauriSoudal Quick-Step+ 06:48
35Kruijswijk StevenTeam Visma | Lease a Bike+ 07:19
36Garibbo NicoloJCL Team Ukyo+ 08:25
37Vervaeke LouisSoudal Quick-Step+ 08:25
38Mattio PietroTeam Visma | Lease a Bike+ 08:30
39De Pretto DavideTeam Jayco-AlUla+ 09:03
40García Cortina IvánMovistar Team+ 09:16
41Braz Afonso ClémentGroupama-FDJ+ 09:16
42Vine JayUAE Team Emirates-XRG+ 09:37
43Engelhardt FelixTeam Jayco-AlUla+ 11:37
44Ries MichelARKEA-B&B HOTELS+ 12:02
45Kulset MagnusUno-X Mobility+ 13:13
46Hopkins DylanRoojai Insurance+ 13:25
47Germani LorenzoGroupama-FDJ+ 13:54
48Løland Sakarias KollerUno-X Mobility+ 14:40
49Donnenwirth TomGroupama-FDJ+ 16:15
50Hellemose AsbjørnTeam Jayco-AlUla+ 16:30
51Capiot AmauryARKEA-B&B HOTELS+ 16:42
52Eriksson LucasTudor Pro Cycling Team+ 16:44
53Masuda NariyukiJCL Team Ukyo+ 17:15
54Madouas ValentinGroupama-FDJ+ 17:41
55Dhondt RobbeTeam Picnic PostNL+ 18:00
56Fayolle Jean-LoupARKEA-B&B HOTELS+ 18:01
57Jousseaume AlanTeam TotalEnergies+ 18:16
58Biermans JentheARKEA-B&B HOTELS+ 18:42
59Eyob MetkelTerengganu Cycling Team+ 18:44
60Camprubí MarcelQ36.5 Pro Cycling Team+ 18:56
61Molard RudyGroupama-FDJ+ 19:02
62Pedersen HenrikUno-X Mobility+ 19:05
63Aular OrluisMovistar Team+ 21:16
64Berhe WelayTeam Jayco-AlUla+ 21:20
65Pluimers RickTudor Pro Cycling Team+ 21:50
66Kanter MaxXDS Astana Team+ 21:54
67Paleni EnzoGroupama-FDJ+ 22:19
68Manzin LorrenzoTeam TotalEnergies+ 22:52
69Weiss FabianTudor Pro Cycling Team+ 23:13
70Hayter EthanSoudal Quick-Step+ 23:42
71Reinderink PepijnSoudal Quick-Step+ 26:03
72Boulahoite RayanTeam TotalEnergies+ 26:21
73Cabedo Hernandez MarcJCL Team Ukyo+ 27:21
74Double PaulTeam Jayco-AlUla+ 27:33
75Roosen TimoTeam Picnic PostNL+ 27:40
76Soupe GeoffreyTeam TotalEnergies+ 27:57
77Jeannière EmilienTeam TotalEnergies+ 28:01
78Boúglas GeorgiosBurgos Burpellet BH+ 28:57
79Nizzolo GiacomoQ36.5 Pro Cycling Team+ 30:45
80Fredheim StianUno-X Mobility+ 31:09
81Warlop JordiSoudal Quick-Step+ 31:25
82Behrens NiklasTeam Visma | Lease a Bike+ 31:37
83Álvarez RodrigoBurgos Burpellet BH+ 31:51
84D'Amato AndreaJCL Team Ukyo+ 34:46
85Vermeersch FlorianUAE Team Emirates-XRG+ 34:51
86Laengen Vegard StakeUAE Team Emirates-XRG+ 35:08
87Lozouet LéandreARKEA-B&B HOTELS+ 36:00
88Miltiadis AndreasRoojai Insurance+ 36:17
89Bittner PavelTeam Picnic PostNL+ 36:22
90Vinokurov NicolasXDS Astana Team+ 36:38
91Turgis AnthonyTeam TotalEnergies+ 37:07
92Naberman TimTeam Picnic PostNL+ 37:56
93Kooij OlavTeam Visma | Lease a Bike+ 39:57
94McLay DanielTeam Visma | Lease a Bike+ 40:03
95Quick BlakeRoojai Insurance+ 40:33
96Wallin Rasmus BøghUno-X Mobility+ 40:55
97Giaimi LucaUAE Team Emirates-XRG+ 41:48
98Cimolai DavideMovistar Team+ 42:03
99Richards KaneRoojai Insurance+ 42:57
100Blikra ErlendUno-X Mobility+ 45:37
101Bettles CarterRoojai Insurance+ 47:02
102Phonarjthan PatompobRoojai Insurance+ 47:20
103Alrahbi SaidOman+ 50:15
104Koyama TomoyaBurgos Burpellet BH+ 52:03
105Mazuki FakhruddinTerengganu Cycling Team+ 52:49
106Thimachai KongphobRoojai Insurance+ 52:55
107Mohd Shabri Muhammad HaizamTerengganu Cycling Team+ 55:46
108Alyaqoobi AbdulrahmanOman+ 01:00:27
109Al Riyami MazinOman+ 01:00:41
110Al-Wahibi MohammedOman+ 01:01:07
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