The first week of racing in the Vuelta a España ended this Sunday with a devastating stage 9. On the way to Granada, the two ascents of the Alto de Hazallanas caused real damage, but David Gaudu made the most of it thanks to his day in the breakaway. After enjoying the great support from Stefan Küng for a while, the Breton couldn’t keep up with Adam Yates for victory in the last third of the race, but he fought well to reach the finish within a very small red jersey group. He therefore gained six places overall and sits in tenth on the eve of the first rest day.
With 4,500 metres of elevation gain and the double climb of the Alto de Hazallanas (7km at 9.5%) in the last sixty kilometres, stage 9 of the Vuelta a Espana was expected to be crucial regarding the general classification. At the start in Motril, the Groupama-FDJ cycling team approached it with a very clear plan. “We really wanted to be one step ahead,” explained Thierry. “David was up for it, and the whole team as well. We had thought about it since yesterday evening. There was the possibility that quite a big breakaway would go, and that it would allow a few riders to move up in the general classification. We also knew that we weren’t taking any big risks because this head start would inevitably be useful.” It only took a handful of kilometres for David Gaudu and Stefan Küng on Sunday to put theory into practice. Unlike the previous days, the breakaway established itself after just eight kilometres, and the Groupama-FDJ duo found itself in the lead in a group of around twenty riders. “It was the right thing to do,” confirmed David. “We thought it was worth going all-in.”
“Stefan rode a superb stage,” Thierry Bricaud
The leading group, which included some big names like Adam Yates, Marc Soler and Wout Van Aert, was able to get a five-minute lead during the first half of the race. Then, the Puerto de El Purche came after 90 kilometres, and the breakaway was shattered. “UAE did a great job for Yates, but Stefan also rode a superb stage,” said Thierry. “You don’t really realise on tv, but these were not slopes made for his body type. Yet, he’s got such good legs that he managed to go very far. It’s really satisfying.” The time trial specialist was able to come over the first climb of the day alongside his leader, then contributed to the work within the first group up until the first, merciless slopes of the Alto de Hazallanas. From then on, the breakaway was reduced to only three men, including David Gaudu. The Groupama-FDJ rider was able to follow the tempo of his two rivals from UAE Team Emirates, but only for some time. Adam Yates attacked four kilometres from the summit, and the French climber later tackled the downhill with a one-and-a-half-minute delay.
“It’s the kind of stage we needed to do”, David Gaudu
He then got the company of Richard Carapaz, with whom he joined forces heading towards the second ascent of the Alto de Hazallanas. The two men tackled it 2’30 behind Yates, but with a three-minute lead over the red jersey group. “Yates was stronger, there is nothing to say about it,” said Thierry. “David fought well but found himself a bit alone on the final climb, between Carapaz and the GC riders.” The Frenchman limited his losses, passing the summit with a two-minute lead over Ben O’Connor, Primoz Roglic & co, but the final did not go his way. “The long descending part until the finish means the groups behind him took back a lot of time,” said Thierry. Three kilometres from the finish, the Breton was therefore re-joined by half a dozen of riders. He finished within this group, 3’45 behind Adam Yates, in ninth position. “I feel like I’m not 100% and that I’m missing a little something, but I still have legs that can allow me to have fun on this kind of stage,” commented David. “It’s the kind of day we needed to do, and it went very well. If I had stayed with the favorites, I don’t think I would have been able to finish with them. In the end, we didn’t lose any time on GC and we even made up some time from some others who blew up.”
On the virtual podium of the Vuelta during the stage, David Gaudu eventually climbed to tenth place, 6’32 behind Ben O’Connor, and two minutes behind Carapaz, in third. “We must not lose sight that the goal initially was to get this lead in order to avoid the tough efforts of the favorites,” Thierry recalled. “That’s what happened, even if the scenario could lead us to think that we could have enjoyed an even better outcome. He still gets into the top 10, it’s still a good day for the team, and especially for him. It’s a good sign for the rest of the Vuelta, and we’re only at the end of the first week.” It’s now time for a well-deserved first rest day. “It will be a rest day for the riders because they have the plane tonight,” Thierry concluded. “This won’t be so true for the staff, who have to drive 400 kilometers tonight and 600 tomorrow.”
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