"it disgusts me" : Before the Tour de France, David Gaudu gives a big update on his relationship with Thibaut Pinot

The big meeting is approaching. one^thing next July, 176 participating riders will get the start of 110^to Edition of the Tour de France from Bilbao. Tadej Pogacar and reigning winner Jonas Vingegaard will be the favorites for the final victory, while David Gaudu still plans to do everything he can to play the lead roles in the peloton. The aim of the French pilot aiming to reach the podium is clear, as the Groupama-FDJ team explained in an interview on its site: “I really only have Tour in mind. It’s been on my mind for two months. I have only one desire: to be on the last bump of the first stage already to start, get there and see where my level is. I think the reality of June is not the reality of July. We are competitors, we always want to progress, so we will go to the Tour de France to compete for the podium. That’s the goal I set for myself, and I’m ready to stop at nothing to achieve it. The team continues to trust me, Marc has always supported me and if I don’t believe it, the drivers who race for me every day won’t either.“

However, for David Gaudu, who has found himself at the center of many controversies in recent months, the preparation was not very favorable. Last January, the mountaineer openly shared his animosity with Arnaud Démare, the sprinter of his training: “I don’t want him to come on tour. Very good Netflix or not, we don’t care… The war is not over. We are in a crusade. The advantage is that we don’t talk to each other and we don’t ride together much.“The driver apologized after this extraordinary start. Note that Arnaud Démare was not selected to participate in the Tour de France.”

Then, rumors of tensions surfaced between David Gaudu and Groupama-FDJ’s emblematic rider, Thibaut Pinot. A detour for Gaudu, who did not hide that he was very impressed by what might be said in the media. The 26-year-old was particularly criticized for not being clear on the selection of Thibaut Pinot for Grande Boucle:This year, it has been talked about a lot on social media. People sometimes didn’t understand what I meant, especially when I wanted to keep my mind on Thibaut’s selection for the Tour. I also said in May that I really wanted Thibaut to be there. I wanted people to stop asking me questions because I’m not the one making the team. I wanted to cut it all short. Unfortunately it was misinterpreted by some people and made me very angry. It wasn’t easy for me to handle as I got so many insults. The good thing is that he’s really calmed down and I also want to thank people who can show restraint.“

“I agree to be a target when things are right. There are things I have done or said, I fully bear the consequences because I know to be at the root of them.“, continues David Gaudu.”On the other hand, when it’s unfair or misunderstood, it bothers me a lot more because I seem arrogant and selfish, and I don’t think I am. Some things are unfortunately created and developed on the basis of misunderstandings. To be honest, that’s what bothered me the most. That was the hardest thing to accept. Unfortunately I can’t change everyone’s opinion about me, nor can I answer everyone.“

So David Gaudu wanted to reiterate once again all his admiration for Thibaut Pinot, who has been his model since the beginning: “Thibaut is someone I gave my all for. When I came to the team, he was the leader and taught me everything about cycling. I’m sure he still has something to teach me. I get sick to my stomach when I see the press articles and videos we oppose. I consider Thibaut first and foremost a friend, I adore him. I have always given my all for him and I know he can give his all for me too. Honestly, I’m pissed off when I read this. We tell ourselves that we are perceived as such when it is false. It really surprised me that people thought I didn’t want it. I don’t know if we could have given each other so much if we didn’t get along. Thibaut is someone I respect a lot. Sometimes there are a few facial expressions that stand out just because I’ve been watching everything he’s done as a leader. Thibaut’s history is as long as it is extensive, so we want to learn from him. I laugh at this, but people sometimes say to me, “It looks like you’re doing Thibaut.” I say it’s normal for me to go to Thibaut Pinot school.“

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