Last year, there were three in the Top 15, including one just off the podium (Victor Lafay), after four stages. But 2024 is not 2023. On Tuesday evening in Valloire, there were no more French riders at this level of the general classification of the Tour de France. As in 2022, where the first of them was 16th (Christophe Laporte). Except that two years ago, the gaps were still very small at this point in the event. David Gaudu was then in 29th position, but only 1’15 from the Yellow Jersey, which will allow him to climb to 4th place in Paris.
94e
Leader of the Groupama-FDJ team, David Gaudu is in 94th position overall, almost an hour (57’01) behind Tadej Pogacar after being the penultimate to be caught in the day’s breakaway.
This year, there is little reason to hope for a good ranking from a Frenchman at the relocated finish in Nice. Even if, of course, there are still many opportunities to shake up the general classification, notably two time trials. Which is not the speciality – to put it mildly – of the first Frenchman, Guillaume Martin (Cofidis). The latter is the only one to have finished in the top thirty (20th at 4’01) of the first mountain stage, that of Galibier, and to be less than five minutes (4’40) behind Tadej Pogacar, who has become the Yellow Jersey again.
All the others are relegated to more than ten minutes and are no longer a danger to anyone. This has the advantage of providing exit vouchers to take the breakaways, and therefore to aim for stage victories. But it will be necessary to be strong to succeed Romain Bardet and Kévin Vauquelin, winners of the 1st and 2nd stages. Strong, Lenny Martinez doubtless hoped to be a little stronger. The young climber of Groupama-FDJ (20 years old) is the last Frenchman in the general classification (160th at 1h23’58) after another day spent in the company of the sprinters.
