Down-on-his-luck David Gaudu left out as Grêgoire leads almost all-French Groupama-FDJ at the Tour de France

As expected, Groupama-FDJ will head to the 2026 Tour de France with an almost entirely French team. The team—which has set aside its general classification ambitions—will field no fewer than seven home-grown riders. With a roster full of breakaway specialists and climbers, the team is aiming for stage wins, particularly with the brand-new French champion Romain Grégoire. David Gaudu continues to have a torrid 2026, and will not be part of the squad, as expected.

Grégoire is the most talked-about name on the roster. The 23-year-old climber had a fantastic spring, finishing fourth in the Amstel Gold Race and Strade Bianche. But his form has only gotten better: he won the second stage of the Tour de Suisse, and will start the Tour de France wearing the French tricolor thanks to his victory at the national road championship.

Last year, the young Frenchman already shone at the Tour de France, finishing fourth in the second stage and fifth in stages four and twenty. This year, he’ll be hoping for stage wins more than ever, given his leader’s jersey. But he won’t be Groupama-FDJ’s only asset in the quest for success. The team is also bringing Guillaume Martin to Barcelona.

The climber finished in the top 15 of the Tour no fewer than six times, with an eighth-place finish as his best result in 2021. In the Tour Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes, the 33-year-old veteran finished tenth in the general classification. In the high mountains, he will be chasing stage wins alongside Ewen Costiou, Clément Berthet, and Clément Braz Afonso.

Groupama-FDJ is also bringing Lorenzo Germani, Quentin Pacher, and Clément Russo. But much talked about David Gaudu won’t be there. The 29-year-old climber is at odds with his team, as was recently revealed. He once finished fourth in the Tour, but in recent years the team’s highest-paid rider's performance has been dismal. According to his teammates, he no longer lives for the sport.

According to Gaudu, the reason he isn't going is that he didn't prepare properly: his wife recently gave birth, so he wasn't fully focused on his training. And what about the criticism from his teammates?"I couldn't care less", he exclaimed.