Groupama-FDJ confirmed the final three riders for their lineup for the 2023 Tour de France with Thibaut Pinot, Stefan Küng and David Gaudu headlining their team as expected.
For climbing star Pinot, the 2023 edition will be his last-ever Tour de France, while Gaudu is keen to improve his fourth-place overall from the 2022 race.
The absence of sprinter Arnaud Démare already created a controversy when it was announced last week, with the Tour roster focussed principally on Gaudu. The final rider announcement today saw Australian climber Michael Storer finally not selected, which has also raised eyebrows in some quarters.
Swiss time triallist Stefan Küng, a recent winner of the opening time trial of his home stage race, was also named in the lineup. Küng already said that he was disappointed the only TT on the route this year, a hilly one in the third week, was not suited to specialists against the clock like himself.
Team management said that Gaudu’s objective would be to finish on the podium but that the squad would also push for stage wins.
“I am very pleased to be taking part in this year’s Tour de France,” Gaudu said in a team press release Wednesday.
“We have a great team again and I’m very pleased to be able to ride alongside Thibaut in his last-ever Tour participation, after everything he taught me about this race over the years.
“Last year we got fourth overall and this year the objective is to progress. We’ll try and step up a spot, which is perhaps one of the hardest things to do. But we’re all ready to take on this challenge.”
Gaudu recently finished a below-expectations 30th overall in the Critérium du Dauphiné, but hoped to bounce back in July.
“I’m evidently very happy to take part in my last Tour,” added Pinot, who first raced the Tour de France in 2012, winning a memorable solo victory at Porrentruy. He recently claimed the King of the Mountains title in the Giro d’Italia.
“The Giro was an exhausting race, but I feel ready for this challenge. I’ve just done a recon of some stages and a training camp at La Clusaz and I hope I have the same legs as I had at the end of the Giro.
“I’m keen to take part in this race at 100% for one last time.”
