"We have to stay focused" - David Gaudu remains hopeful of achieving podium place despite disappointing first week
Cycling
Losing more time to his rivals on the stage 9 summit finish atop Puy de Dôme, David Gaudu dropped from 7th to 8th in the Tour de France general classification. Despite this, Gaudu remains the leading Frenchman and holds out hope of finishing on the podium.
Speaking after stage 9, Philippe Mauduit, sports director at Groupama - FDJ addressed Gaudu's performances and his positioning in the general classification. “Of course we are disappointed that we have not achieved the expected results, but on the other hand, nothing is lost yet and there is nothing to worry about,” he explains.
“We should not panic, although we would have liked to be higher in the standings. What's to come is very tough and we know that David always finishes grand tours well," Mauduit continues. “People often remind us that we are aiming for the Tour podium and we still have that ambition. But let's not forget that a third place in the Tour is a very high goal. It is not easy to achieve. We have to stay focused and try to get close to it.”
Heading into the first rest day of the 2023 Tour de France, Gaudu sits in 8th in the general classification, 6:01 down on overall race leader Jonas Vingegaard and 3:21 behind Jai Hindley in third.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
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parisbound0008-11-2026
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