What on earth is going on with David Gaudu? Groupama-FDJ is having the Frenchman thoroughly evaluated

What on earth is going on with David Gaudu? Not long ago, the Groupama-FDJ rider was one of the leading lights of French cycling, but in 2026 he has been completely invisible. With results failing to materialize, his French team has decided to have him evaluated. This will likely also mean that the Vuelta a España is out of the question for him.

Gaudu is not currently ranked in the top 500 of the UCI rankings. He finished 18th in the UAE Tour and fifth in the Boucles de l'Aulne, but that was pretty much it. The 29-year-old climber finished 59th in the Tour of Catalonia, 57th in the Tour de Romandie, and kalso recorded a number of DNFs this year. At Groupama-FDJ, his teammates are reportedly fed up with his attitude.

He supposedly no longer has a passion for the sport. “But he’s the only one who doesn’t realise that. And I can tell you that he’s getting less and less support within the team,” an anonymous teammate said earlier this year. After a month-long break, Gaudu returned to competition in August, lining up at the start of the Clasica San Sebastian. He recorded a DNF there, and he also failed to finish the Tour of Burgos.

He then traveled to La Polynormande. The French one-day race would normally suit a strong Gaudu well, but things went completely wrong again: after less than forty kilometers of racing, he was dropped. He never saw the peloton again and had to pull out early once more. Things aren’t going well at all, so Groupama-FDJ has decided to take action.

L'Équipe , among others, reported from within the team that Gaudu must undergo "a series of additional tests." “David is currently going through a difficult period and is struggling to fully regain his former form. The results of these tests will allow the team to adjust their support, both in terms of training and in determining his upcoming race schedule.”

Those tests seem to be getting in the way of the Vuelta a España anyway. The Tour of Spain starts this coming Saturday in Monaco. Last year, Gaudu pulled off a surprise stage win and even wore the red jersey for a short while, though he remained a bit of a wild card for the rest of the race. Since then, he hasn’t come close to that high point.