Tour de France – David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), grateful to his teammates: “If they are not there…” – Eurosport FR

A fantastic comeback at the heart of an epic stage. Wednesday in the direction of Granon, David Gaudu has certainly not boxed in the category of the winner, Jonas Vingegaard. But while he could have sunk, released more than 50 kilometers from the finish, the leader of Groupama-FDJ did much better than limit the damage. He took fifth place, light years away from the galley day that seemed promised to him, on the slopes of Galibier, when he was one of the less prominent favorites. “I knew how to keep my calm and I I was able to rely on an incredible team”, greeted the 25-year-old French climber, a time clocked two minutes from Tadej Pogacar, in the penultimate pass of this first very high mountain stage. Surrounded by Michael Storer and Valentin Madouas, he kept a steady pace, while the Jumbo-Visma strove (successfully) to tire the double defending champion, stripped of his yellow jersey at the end of this 11th stage which Gaudu qualifies as “madmen”.Tour de FranceVingegaard, the founding act7 HOURS AGOThe incredible pass of arms: Vingegaard, Roglic and Pogacar attack each other in the Galibier”Without them, today, I am nothing “The peace of mind shown by the leader of Groupama-FDJ is all the more remarkable since he had seen his intentions of a podium vanish, last year, during a “day without”. The refrain of his inability to last three weeks without a drop in intensity could have been hummed by the media or other observers. It could have already resonated, in a corner of Gaudu’s head. But he therefore did not flinch, and he insists on the role played by his teammates. “Without them, today, I am nothing. If they are not there, I may be twenty minutes overall this (Wednesday) evening”, estimates the Breton, 7th in the race for the golden tunic, relatively far from Vingegaard (3’13”) but close to second place, occupied by Romain Bardet, 57 seconds ahead of him Paradoxically, Gaudu has all the same fallen back two ranks, but he can come out of this alpine contest comforted as to his chances of finishing on the box. ‘took over Tadej Pogacar, I took over Adam Yates…”From feared shipwreck to preserved ambition, the turnaround is masterful. A boost from Wout van Aert (who came to lend a hand to Primoz Roglic, in the same group that David Gaudu) contributed to it. But it was above all the legs that spoke on the steep slopes of the Granon (11.3 km at 9.2%). On the last climb, we managed really well. In the end, I felt pretty good and I knew it was very hard”, is satisfied the 11th of the last Big Loop. His strategy: pick up the dead, in the jargon of the little queen: “We had to manage and try to pick up the guys one by one, and that’s what happened.” Among the “guys” in question, a certain Tadej, who was flying two minutes before him, on the heights of Galibier: “J I took over Tadej Pogacar, I took over Adam Yates, I took over everyone I could take back.” Gaudu knew not to put himself in the red, unlike the eminent opponent whom he thus overtook. Pogacar: “I lost three minutes today, maybe I’ll take three back tomorrow” “Looking forward” to rubbing shoulders with Alpe d’Huez “We suspected that Jonas Vingegaard was going to be the strongest and the goal was not to hang on at all costs, if it was to explode five terminals from the top (more or less where Pogacar gave in, editor’s note)”, considers the recent winner of a stage during the Critérium of the Da uphinated. To top it off, he “didn’t end up too burnt out.” This is good, because the violence of this first explanation at altitude should not hide the difficulty of the following ones. From Thursday, it is Alpe d’Huez which will stare at the runners. “I’m happy with my day, I can’t wait to see you tomorrow (Thursday), to see how it’s going to go”, concludes a Gaudu resolutely optimistic. We understand that he is, as he seemed to reverse the course of his destiny, this Wednesday. But he is well placed to know how teasing cycling is with the hasty conclusions. To say that the Tour has only just changed in its second half. Alpe d’Huez, place of revenge for Pogacar? The map of the 12th stage in imagesTour de FranceVingegaard, the founding act7 HOURS AGOTour de FranceGaudu: “5th overall about thirty seconds from the podium, we would have signed immediately”11/07/2022 At 16:07