Gruppama-FDJ's David Gaudoux said he is ready to ride the mountains again at this year's Tour de France as team leader Thibaut Pinot's right hand man, but that the season is still long and he wants to focus on the races before and after the Tour, including possibly leading the team at the Vuelta a España later in the season. He said he wants to focus on the races before and after the Tour, including the possibility of leading the team in the Vuelta a España later in the season.

The 23-year-old Gaudoux had a strong showing supporting Pinot in last year's race, when Pinot was fifth overall, but was forced to retire injured just two days after Paris. Now a year older, wiser, and perhaps even stronger, Gordou feels he can be even more useful to his more experienced teammates.

"We understand each other and talk to each other a lot," Gaudo said of Pino on the Groupama-FDJ website.

"Every meter I go, I tell myself that I must not fail, that I must stay with the leader," he explained, referring to his experience leading his teammate in the mountains at last year's Tour.

"When I see him doing well, it keeps the adrenaline pumping in our wheels and makes me want to push a little harder while the rest of the guys are cracking. The Tour de France was so inspiring, I just want to remember the good parts."

Gordou and Pinot both started the 2020 season at the Tour de la Provence in February, with Pinot finishing 7th overall and Gordou 10th. The tour's duration was shortened, but the team finished in 4th place overall.

They rode together at the Groupama-FDJ training camp in the French Alps, and Gault and Pinot will ride together at the Criterium du Dauphiné in mid-August to fine-tune their plans for the Tour, which starts August 29 in Nice.

"Unlike the athletes who are supposed to support him in Echelon, for example, my role is "much simpler." For him, I am probably his most "manageable" teammate."

"On the sporting side, the Dauphiné course is very tough and the goal would obviously be to get a good overall result with Thibault."

He admits that the pressure and nerves will increase as the Tour approaches, but for now he is content to just get back to racing and building his race form.

"More than anything I want to get my bib number back as soon as possible. The pressure of the Tour will come quietly afterwards, especially at the Dauphiné."

"Having said that, of course we all know what lies ahead and what we have to do for the Tour. We all have an image of last year; we all have an image of what we did last year. We want to repeat the same thing, or almost repeat it," he said, referring to Pinot's thigh injury at the end of the race.

For now, Gaudo says he is happy to run for Pino and learn from his leadership. However, Gaudo admits that he would like a chance at a Grand Tour in the future, which could happen at the Vuelta a España in late October of this year.

If he competes in the Vuelta, it would mean missing the Ardennes Classics for the first time in his four-year career, but Gaudo believes it will be worth the price.

"I'm excited to be at the start of my second Grand Tour this year," he said. I can't wait to see what happens and how I handle it." Running two Grand Tours in the same season is not something you can do every year.

"That said, the Vuelta is still a long way off. We haven't even talked about it in depth yet," Gaud added. . the main focus is the Tour de France."

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