The months of struggles are now behind him. On Monday, David Gaudu enjoyed pure euphoria again on stage 3 of the Vuelta a España. Boosted by his third-place finish in Limone Piemonte on Sunday, the Breton climber once again joined the fight in a tense and slightly uphill final in Ceres. This time, however, he got the better of Mads Pedersen and Jonas Vingegaard in the final metres to secure an astonishing victory. His third one on the Vuelta a España, and his first one in the WorldTour since 2022. After three days of racing, he sits second in the Vuelta a España general classification, but with the same time as the Danish red jersey.
As the last Italian stage of the 2025 Vuelta a España was about to take place on Monday, the Groupama-FDJ cycling team was down to seven men following Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet’s abandon after a crash the day before, with a rib injury. It was necessary, however, not to lose the focus for a day that seemed calm on paper, but whose finale could prove tense. From San Maurizio Canavese, only 135 kilometres were to be covered towards Ceres, where the finish line was located at the end of a 2,500-metre climb averaging 3% but with a final kilometre at 5%. “After David’s performance yesterday, and given today’s route, we believed in our chances, and we did everything to achieve the best possible result,” explained Frédéric Guesdon. “We started with the aim of competing in the final with David and Thibaud, but everything depended on how the stage unfolded. It was still quite a challenging course, and Lidl-Trek took advantage of the hilly and winding terrain at mid-race to make it hard and tire out their opponents. As for us, we rode really well, we were always well positioned, and we didn’t suffer too much. This scenario was the best one for David”. “We knew he was in great shape after yesterday and that the final suited him,” confirmed Rudy. “When I saw during the stage that everyone was tired, I told him he could win.”
“Stefan told me: you can beat Pedersen,” David Gaudu
The day’s breakaway, initially made of four men, was definitively caught twenty kilometres from the finish line, then the peloton tackled a long, slight false-flat towards the final. In Stefan Küng’s wake, the Groupama-FDJ cycling team almost never lost the front ranks. Nervosity gradually set in, especially in the last five kilometres, before tackling the climb to Ceres. “We came to recon it because the hotel wasn’t far away, and we did well, because we’d noted some technical spots where we needed to be positioned, especially with two kilometres to go,” explained Frédéric Guesdon. “There was a small downhill, and we couldn’t hang around in the back because the corners followed one another quite quickly after.” A bit behind at that point, David Gaudu wisely decided to make an effort at that precise moment. “I managed to find the right timing with 2km to go to get back the right wheels,” he said. Back at the front of the pack, the Breton didn’t drop back from then on as the peloton gradually reduced and stretched out. Careful and quick to react, he was even part of a small group of riders that broke away slightly 400 metres from the finish line, after Giulio Ciccone’s pull for his sprinter Mads Pedersen.
“I really liked the finish when we did the recon, and Stefan told me this morning: with your weight and your punch, you can beat Pedersen,” David reported. “I must admit I didn’t really believe it.” Yet he was on the wheel of the Dane and Jonas Vingegaard with 200 metres to go, before the final, decisive corner, located 75 metres from the finish line. “I saw that Mads wasn’t going to close the door, I managed to take the inside, and then it was a man-to-man fight all the way to the finish line,” David said. “We were a bit scared just before because we felt he was struggling a bit with the big push,” added Frédéric. “However, he managed to get back into position, he came very quickly in the corner, then his explosivity made the difference.” After an effort as punchy as it was graceful, David Gaudu defeated the former world champion to secure a most memorable victory. “It’s amazing,” said Thibaud, who finished in eighteenth place. “I heard his name as I crossed the line, I was so happy.” “These are incredible feelings,” added Rudy, twenty-second. “We’ve been waiting for this for a while, we’re going to enjoy it.”
“I’m really, really emotional”, David Gaudu
First speechless, then ecstatic, David Gaudu had every reason to savour this success, given the journey he’s had. “This season has been so hard… I’m really, really emotional,” he said in his first words. “I’ve had one setback after another, one struggle after another, but the team has always supported me, encouraged me, and get me back on track. It’s just a deserved reward to bring them this victory. That’s a relief. Raising your arms is the best you can ask for in cycling. I know I can be at this level, but I hadn’t been able to show it until now. I managed to do it yesterday, and again today. Our Vuelta is already a success.” “He needed a little confidence, he got it yesterday, and today he showed what he’s capable of,” said Stefan Küng. “I’m very happy for him because we know what a season he’s had. He’s back to his true level. It’s great for him and for the team.” Frédéric Guesdon added: “It’s going to do good to everyone. First of all, to David, who struggled this year and who was hoping for a lot more from this season. As a sportsman, returning to victory after so many difficulties is always moving. Then to the team, because the Tour wasn’t super great, and the results haven’t been excellent either since then. This will allow us to get back on track for the end of the season.”
The Groupama-FDJ cycling team would have gladly taken the icing on the cake, namely the red jersey, but thanks to the addition of positions, Jonas Vingegaard kept his jersey on Monday, ahead of David Gaudu, who is now his runner-up. “A victory, a podium, second overall, we would have agreed for such a start before the Vuelta,” concluded Frédéric. “We know it’s important to start a Grand Tour in a good way, and we’ll try to continue like that. We’re also thinking of Guillaume this evening, and we’ll miss him for what comes next.” The next stage will take the riders to Voiron, in France, on Tuesday, for a fourth stage that will feature three climbs in the first seventy-five kilometres.
