You'd have needed a heart of stone not to be moved by David Gaudu's (Groupama-FDJ) look of sheer delight as he celebrated his stage win in the Vuelta a España on Sunday, and a much-needed return to top form following a miserable first part of the year.
Ever since he crashed in training this March, the 28-year-old Frenchman has been fighting fires throughout much of 2025. His Giro d'Italia participation left him empty handed, injured and exhausted, and he subsequently missed out on the Tour de France, his big goal of the season, with poor form.
