The Groupama-FDJ cycling team experienced a range of emotions on Sunday during the second stage of the Vuelta. First, it was heartbreak, after Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet’s early abandon following a crash in the rain. Then, it was joy, when David Gaudu fought among the favorites in the final kilometers to claim a superb third place at the summit of Limone Piemonte. The Frenchman therefore starts the race in the best possible way and sits in third place overall on Sunday evening.
Day two, and already a summit finish in La Vuelta! On Sunday, on Italian soil, the peloton was set to reach Limone Piemonte, 1,400 metres above sea level, after 160 kilometres of racing from Alba. The final, ten-kilometres climb was expected to be quite rolling, with the exception of the last two, steeper kilometres, at an average of 8%. Everything also suggested that the race would only settle in the last kilometres, given the lack of difficulties beforehand. This is why only four men went on the attack early, without ever threatening the peloton, which remained in control all day. Initially quite calm, the stage however took a tricky turn around fifty kilometres from the finish. “Unfortunately, the rain came at the wrong time, in a hilly and quite technical part of the course, with quite a few roundabouts,” reported Frédéric Guesdon. “This proved even more critical for us, because in the first downhill bend, which was a bit wet, Guillaume slipped off his rear wheel, crashed into the ditch, and was unable to get going again.” The Groupama-FDJ squad thus found itself down to seven men, without one of its leaders.
“It’s always important to start with a good momentum,” David Gaudu
As for the other “captain”, David Gaudu, he tried to limit the risks as much as possible in this final hour of racing. “I was paralyzed,” the Breton even confessed. “We’re not very far from home, and I know that when it rains here, it’s a disaster. I was afraid of reliving past episodes, so I took the gamble of staying at the back of the peloton.” “David wasn’t feeling comfortable, and that’s understandable,” added Frédéric. “We knew, however, that the last ten kilometers were on nice roads and uphill, so the hardest thing for him was to reach the bottom without too much trouble.” This was done, after what was nonetheless an eventful approach, marked by numerous crashes within the peloton. The final climb was then ridden at a very fast pace. “Given the field and the profile of the finishing climb, where only the last two kilometers were a bit steeper, we knew that it would end with a small bunch sprint,” said Frédéric. “We didn’t know how many riders would still be there. I thought we would see a bit less people than we saw, but we are at the start of a Grand Tour and the level of competition is high.”
Starting the final two kilometres, almost half the peloton was still in contention, and still some fifty riders were present at the flamme rouge. David Gaudu then made his way to the first quarter of the pack and was ready to follow the moves when Marc Soler tried to anticipate the final sprint. The Frenchman, however, waited a bit and eventually took the wheel of Jonas Vingegaard and Giulio Ciccone in the last 200 metres. At the finish line, only the Dane and the Italian actually beat him, the Groupama-FDJ climber thus securing a remarkable podium finish to start this Vuelta. “When David is at 100%, it’s the kind of finish where he’s very strong,” said Frédéric. “It’s not that much of a surprise. The question mark was only about his shape because it had been a long time since he had raced such a final. We wondered how he would handle it, but he handled it very well, which proves he’s 100%.” ”It wasn’t a foregone conclusion,” said David. “I wanted to get a result for Guillaume. I didn’t believe I could at first because I wasn’t feeling well before the climb, but in the end, it worked out, and I’m really happy. This allows us to start this Vuelta the right way, and I think the team needed it. It’s always important to start with a good momentum in the first days of a Grand Tour.”
“The feelings are mixed,” Frédéric Guesdon
Alongside the best and rewarded with four bonus seconds, David Gaudu is now in third place in the general classification on Sunday. “He’s had some tough times, so it’s obviously a good thing to start the Vuelta with a podium finish on the first summit finish,” added Frédéric. “It gives him confidence, it gives the team confidence, and we need to build on this result for the rest of the Vuelta! The day’s feelings are mixed though, because despite David’s great performance, we’re obviously sad to lose Guillaume, who was motivated and in good shape for this Vuelta. He fought through the difficulties on the Tour and deserved to show his qualities here. For him and for the team, it’s a real blow to see him crash out on the second day.” The rider from Normandy was taken to the hospital, where he will undergo the necessary tests. The rest of the team, on the other hand, will compete the final Italian stage of the Vuelta on Monday, towards Ceres, where the finish will be located after 2500 metres at 3%.
