David Gaudu discussion thread

[cen]

I found this translation of his French post-race interview. Riveting.

There are not 3600 days like this in a carreer so since the beginning I see it "turned" really good in the first climb and I saw everybody panic so I channelled myself. I take on myself, I say to myself that I should be calm, I should be patient today and that I will be rapidly alone so I need to be diligent. We see Movistar try to accelerate. Astana plays really well. When I saw that Primoz Roglic was there, I say to myself : "Ok I focus on him and Valverde" but finally when we were 3 with Roglic, I say : "it's maybe too Early but go Kid, it remain 25 km, there is one minute, I need to manage and to go, you will not have regrets at the finish." No regrets, I made the most perfect race of my carreer. It's also a team work even if today I was alone because they help me all the week they protect me so a great thank you to them to protect me and to trust me this week. I know Primoz would not play the victory. At the foot of the climb he said he does not care about the stage victory so I focus on that, on my effort and I know in the last climb I had to attack to make Carthy in diffulty and in the headset I heard that Primoz will let me win and at the top of the climb he confirms me. I give it all and a great thank you to him who was a Lord today It's the most beautiful victory of my carreer, with so much good riders, in Pays Basque, in Arrate a great place of this land. The most beautiful victory on an exceptionnal day. I have legs I never had before so I'm really really happy. I need to recover for the Ardennaises and maybe there will be something to do with a good team.

 

[BlueRoads]

Gaudu’s Tour de France GC hopes evaporate in heat before Mont Ventoux

“He had no legs, he had a heatstroke and that led to digestive issues and vomiting,” said sports director Yvon Madiot.

www.cyclingnews.com

I just hope there's a translation mistake or it's a big exaggeration, because otherwise, how can you let a rider with a heatstroke still ride the Ventoux twice (and also take those descends)?

 

[Bolder]

I've had real heatstroke and doubt that's what he had. Kudos for his effort and now he's free to stage hunt in the Pyrénées. Gaudu is not yet ready to be a GC rider, as much as he has great climbing abilities.

 

[Mayomaniac]

I've had real heatstroke and doubt that's what he had. Kudos for his effort and now he's free to stage hunt in the Pyrénées. Gaudu is not yet ready to be a GC rider, as much as he has great climbing abilities.

Yeah, what Aru had at the Italian NC sounds more like a heatstroke. Aru had to stop racing, was pale and dizzy and had to sit for an hour. Afterwards he was still dizzy and had problems when it came to driving home, he also couldn't sleep at night.

 

[Pinot's goat]

They should send him to the Giro next year, it is better to improve riding under less pressure like Pinot did in 2017/2018 and then come back to the Tour when you are ready to fight right at the front.

 

[carolina]

I have to admit I'm kind of happy that he had a bad day yesterday. I don't think he's a rider for GC in 3 weeks. He and Madouas should focus on stage hunting or the polka dot jersey.

 

[BlueRoads]

Yeah, what Aru had at the Italian NC sounds more like a heatstroke. Aru had to stop racing, was pale and dizzy and had to sit for an hour. Afterwards he was still dizzy and had problems when it came to driving home, he also couldn't sleep at night.

Yeah, I've also had two heatstrokes in my life, well, the first one was not so bad, I felt really bad and had to vomit, but apart from feeling rather sick and resting in the dark for two days it was more or less okay. The second time I needed help to even go to the toilet for a day and had two or three more really, really bad days, where I couldn't do anything and was awfully dizzy and sick. I know I'm a p*** and those guys can go through way more, but still...
So it's probably an exaggeration and means he just felt bad because of the heat. I hope that's the way it is, because I think your brain can swell and it can become really dangerous if you do not take care.

 

[RedheadDane]

They should send him to the Giro next year, it is better to improve riding under less pressure like Pinot did in 2017/2018 and then come back to the Tour when you are ready to fight right at the front.

Dunno if they hoped riding for Pinot would be his way of riding under less pressure.
And then GC rider in the Vuelta last year.

 

[Bolder]

Dunno if they hoped riding for Pinot would be his way of riding under less pressure.
And then GC rider in the Vuelta last year.

Yeah, I think he's more of a super dom or stage hunter than GC. Nothing wrong with that and he's had some quality wins already.

 

[Sciatic]

In U.S. medical diagnoses, heat exhaustion and heatstroke are different animals. Heat exhaustion is more common and would typically be what we’re seeing if someone is still managing to ride. Heatstroke is much more serious and potentially fatal. You would not expect someone with heatstroke to still be upright, never mind still pushing the pedals.

 

[AlfaLum]

Too bad for this guy that he is riding for an MPCC team. You just cant keep up with this level for three weeks with all the advantageous wind that the other teams are having.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

I may have been spending too much time on this forum recently, a line from the commentary today immediately made me think of thread titles around here
"Gaudu, what's he gonna do?"

(Turns out he couldn't do that much, dropping everyone on the climb was a good plan but... Colbrelli was around )

 

[cen]

He is missing that Vuelta spark but at least he is trying.

 

[Leinster]

He is missing that Vuelta spark but at least he is trying.

I think if they'd done the stage backwards with the same breakaway, he might've won, but he wasn't nearly strong enough on the flat to catch Konrad.

 

[roundabout]

I thought that it was not a good sign when he didn't (couldn't?) follow Konrad on the Core. Not only because Konrad subsequently won, but because how much stronger Konrad was at that point.

 

[DoYouEvenRideBruh]

I thought that it was not a good sign when he didn't (couldn't?) follow Konrad on the Core. Not only because Konrad subsequently won, but because how much stronger Konrad was at that point.

I think he didn't follow but could. He showed some decent legs in the rest of the stage, other than perhaps avoiding pulling too much on the flat with Colbrelli on his wheel which is understandable.

Probably nobody thought Konrad's move would be the winning one so far from the finish but the guy was flying today.

 

[roundabout]

I think he didn't follow but could. He showed some decent legs in the rest of the stage, other than perhaps avoiding pulling too much on the flat with Colbrelli on his wheel which is understandable.

Probably nobody thought Konrad's move would be the winning one so far from the finish but the guy was flying today.

It could be the case, but I was thinking that when the best climber out of the rest goes on the biggest climb it makes sense to try to follow him.

 

[BlueRoads]

I don't know whether he could have followed, but all in all he didn't look great yesterday.

 

[Bolder]

I don't know whether he could have followed, but all in all he didn't look great yesterday.

He hasn't looked good since Ventoux when he suffered from stomach issues and/or the heat. That probably killed any chances for a stage win as he' probably depleted way too much energy just trying to finish. I like Gaudu as a rider, but like a lot of potential Top 10 riders or stage winners he's underperformed. For example, I was pretty sure that Fuglsang would take a stage based on his Suisse performance, but he's been invisible. And what's going on with Hirschi this year?

 

[Pinot's goat]

He hasn't looked good since Ventoux when he suffered from stomach issues and/or the heat. That probably killed any chances for a stage win as he' probably depleted way too much energy just trying to finish. I like Gaudu as a rider, but like a lot of potential Top 10 riders or stage winners he's underperformed. For example, I was pretty sure that Fuglsang would take a stage based on his Suisse performance, but he's been invisible. And what's going on with Hirschi this year?

Fuglsang blames the vaccine, Hirschi had a very bad crash on stage 1 so it is an achievement to make it to Paris for him.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

A very uplifting result today. He died a bit at the end, where I actually expected him to be joined or overtaken by some of the others, but he managed to hold on. All things considered, if he finishes 11th or better that's not a bad result.

 

[RedheadDane]

I don't think there's gonna be a whole lot of movement in either direction for him:

10	10	-	BILBAO Pello	Bahrain - Victorious		12:53
11	11	-	GAUDU David	Groupama - FDJ		15:42
12	12	-	CATTANEO Mattia	Deceuninck - Quick Step		19:41

 

[Pinot's goat]

I hope he makes top 10 since I have never seen a rider lose 25 mins on one stage to the eventual GC winner and still make the top 10.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I don't think there's gonna be a whole lot of movement in either direction for him:

10	10	-	BILBAO Pello	Bahrain - Victorious		12:53
11	11	-	GAUDU David	Groupama - FDJ		15:42
12	12	-	CATTANEO Mattia	Deceuninck - Quick Step		19:41

It depends on his tactic tomorrow. If he ends up in the break, he could both lose a lot of time or gain some.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I hope he makes top 10 since I have never seen a rider lose 25 mins on one stage to the eventual GC winner and still make the top 10.

Nine riders did that in 2006

 

[cen]

To come 4th on a GC stage after being in a break is pretty good. Maybe he is peaking in 3rd week afterall.