David Gaudu was one of the revelations of the very steep finish at the Puerto de Ancares. The Groupama - FDJ rider was among the first riders to be dropped from the frantic pace set by Primoz Roglic's teammates, but as it turned out, the 27-year-old Frenchman knew perfectly what he was doing and eventually caught his 'cooked' opponents one by one.
"I felt good all day and I knew it was going to be a hill climb between the general classification favourites," he shared on team website after the stage. "I was well placed on the last climbs by Sven (Bystrom) and Quentin (Pacher), and we managed the approach to the last ascent well too."
There, Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe set a devillish pace that shattered the group of favourites to pieces. Gaudu didn't panic a chose to follow his own pace which eventually paid off. "The foot was mounted extremely quickly, too quickly to be able to continue at this tempo all the way to the top. I then did what I know how to do, namely manage my pace to catch up with the competitors one after the other."
This clever tactic rewarded the French with 21st place on the day, fifth over the lane among GC riders. "On a climb like today's (Friday), it paid off, and I was able to accelerate again as I usually do halfway up, to catch up with Carapaz, then Kuss, Lipowitz and finally the Skjelmose-Rodriguez duo."
Gaudu's DS Thierry Bricaud was also beaming with happiness after the stage: "David (Gaudu) handled it like a boss. He still lacks a bit of confidence, but he knows himself very well and he was able to manage his climb as he needed to."
Arriving to the finish 44 seconds behind Primoz Roglic was enough to see the Groupama - FDJ rider move up to the overall top-10, passing Adam Yates and George Bennett to take 9th spot in the GC, 4:44 behind Ben O'Connor and 3:23 behind Roglic. Gaudu will have plenty opportunities to move up the rankings if he performs like today as there are three more riders within half a minute reach of the French climber.
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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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- Roglic could not have won anyway, after Jonas followed him when Roglic decided it was his turn for a stage win. Jonas had already attacked Kuss twice, so it was Jonas who was within seconds of taking the lead before Kuss was 'gifted' the win. It felt a bit like Roglic was being thrown under the bus when the team made his unhappiness public.Hills3314-11-2026
- POG1, another nice doc about our favourite, I watched most of it with a big smile on my face (except for the bits about his crashes 😢 obvs!).Lozza14-11-2026
- Martinez had a good year! 5th at the Tour was a great result for him, albeit largely through getting in successful breaks, but he held it better than Pidcock who’d done the same.Lozza14-11-2026
- guess what Valgren, you're 34, and no you're not good enough. sorry to say.mij14-11-2026
- I'm a sepp fan and like to think he earned that LOL, indulge me : ) I think Jonas was fine. Roglic did not want to concede to Sepp. and I don't think you ever attack your own teammate in the leaders jersey if he is holding his own, which Sepp just about was.mij14-11-2026
- enough time? he's 24 years old. He's won 10 races over the last 2 years and some are significant. I won't argue about his attitude being good - it needs to improve. But with some coaching and mentorship he has a lot of winning ahead of him and has plenty of time to win a GT. I don't think he will ever beat Tadej, but everyone else is fair game Look at Mas and Valverde - they were 31 and 29, respectively, when they won the Vuelta.mij14-11-2026
- Pogacar has a fine head on his shoulders.Careful investments and a couple of coffee shops sounds like a wonderful way to chill after an intense career.Stay healthy GOAT.
Brucegel14-11-2026 - I live in Maribor.PogiSloFans14-11-2026
- I live in Ljubljana and often go on trips in the surrounding area, where I frequently see young cyclists in 'Pogi Team' jerseys training, either alone or in groups. By simply motivating so many young people to take up cycling, Tadej has already achieved something truly significant.Velijo14-11-2026
- That's an excellent point. It's interesting that Vader came to that realization only after he learned that his contract wasn't going to be renewed.
santiagobenites14-11-2026
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200km au programme du jour 👊⛰️
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