“The project really makes sense” - Kevin Geniets backs David Gaudu to challenge for Maglia Rosa at 2025 Giro d'Italia

For the first time in his career, David Gaudu targets the Giro d'Italia in 2025. With a pair of top-10 finishes at the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana already to his name, can the Frenchman secure a first Grand Tour podium in Italy? One man with confidence is his long-time domestique, Kevin Geniets.

"I knew that David wanted to go to the Giro with the goal of fighting for the general classification. We talked about it with the team, and we agreed that I would go there too in order to support him as best I could," explains the three-time Luxembourg national champion in a Groupama - FDJ press release. "I really like working with David, we have already achieved great things together, and it is a very exciting project."

"Doing a great Giro is a challenge for him, but it is also a challenge for me as a domestique. It is almost the part of my work where I have the most fun, especially when I know that David is really at the top, as we have already seen on the Tour or in Paris-Nice," Geniets continues. "This is what really excites me. When we see his end of the 2024 season, it also gives us confidence and lets us think that the project really makes sense."

Having raced so often together, Geniets and Gaudu all also well-aligned, making for a good pair. "We very often have a similar race schedule, and I don’t think it is by chance. I like his way of racing, I think he also appreciates the work I do for him, and that is why he trusts me," Geniets explains. "We also experienced moments that bonded us strongly. I repositioned him when he won his stage on the Dauphiné, I could 'save' him from some stressful situations on the Tour… All these shared experiences mean that we now know each other really well. I know how he works, he knows how I work, and my goal is really to allow him to get the most out of himself."

Given he's dedicated himself so faithfully to Gaudu's service though, Geniets admits he has to let go of some of his own goals. "It’s difficult to fit the cobbled classics campaign into my program because I will return to altitude camp with David to prepare for the Giro as best as possible," he says. "It is a big goal for him, so we have a really global approach to the season. For sure I miss the Flemish races, I want to go back there, but I think that this year is the right year to try this program. However, I am already making an appointment with Flanders for next year."

Also in the Grand Tours, although Geniets is starting to see more opportunities for himself. "Breaking away on a Grand Tour is also a particular process. During my first years as a pro, we were only aiming for the GC with David, so I was almost never told to break away. Over the past two years, our approach has changed a bit, I’ve had to adapt, and I’m also getting better at taking this responsibility," he concludes. "Last year, I broke away on the Dauphiné, I broke away several times on the Tour. It’s really something you have to learn. When you learn it on the biggest stage, it’s for sure not easy, but I’ve progressed, and people saw me at the front on these big races. So of course, if there are any opportunities, I’ll try to break away and get a result for myself."