Despite recent speculation linking him to a potential move
to the ambitious Team Picnic PostNL,
David Gaudu has put an end to the rumours
by committing his future to
Groupama - FDJ. Currently racing the Giro d’Italia
2025, where he has been hampered by crashes in the build-up, Gaudu used the
first rest day to confirm what many inside the French setup had hoped, he’s
staying put.
“In 2017, David was 20 years old when he signed his first
professional contract with the team,” Groupama–FDJ said in a statement. “Since
then he has grown, attacked, won, learned. And we want it to continue until
2027.”
For Gaudu, the decision was about more than just loyalty, it
was about unfinished business. “Extending with the Groupama–FDJ team is an
obvious decision, but above all, it is motivated by a true conviction: that my
story here is not over,” he said in a press release.
The Breton climber has spent his entire professional career
with the French WorldTour team, steadily maturing into one of their key
leaders. His standout result remains fourth place at the 2022
Tour de France,
where he matched the world’s best on multiple summit finishes and solidified
his status as France’s next big hope for a Grand Tour podium. Though he has not
yet returned to that same level in a three-week race, his strong 2024 Vuelta a
España hinted that more might be possible.
“It is this team that gave me my chance at the highest
level, that has accompanied me in every step of my progression, and that
continues to trust me season after season,” Gaudu said. “The years go by, but
the desire remains intact.”
His 2025 Giro d’Italia has been disrupted by a series of
crashes in the weeks leading into the race, and he has been riding largely in
support roles or to build form. But both Gaudu and the team believe his best
years may still be ahead.
“Like my performances at the start of the season in Oman or
at the 2024 Vuelta, I feel that I am reaching new milestones with the team,”
Gaudu added. “I am convinced that there are great things to do over the next
two years.”