Groupama-FDJ United reveals more about leaders’ race program

Groupama-FDJ United announced its plans for 2026 last Friday. David Gaudu will participate in the Tour de France again after a year’s absence, while Valentin Madouas will skip it this time. He will be, alongside Romain Grégoire, a team leader in the classics, reports L'Equipe.

The 29-year-old Gaudu skipped the Tour this year for the first time since 2017, his debut pro season. Instead, he made his Giro d'Italia debut, which was disappointing. In the Vuelta, he somewhat made up for it with a stage win and several days in the red jersey, but he couldn’t make a significant impact in the general classification there either. In the Tour, he will be joined by Guillaume Martin.

Gaudu will also compete in the UAE Tour (February 16-22), Paris-Nice (March 8-15), and the Tour of Catalonia (March 23-29).

Grégoire and Madouas focal points in the classics
Madouas will skip the Tour de France to focus on the Flemish classics. In 2022, the 29-year-old rider placed third in the Tour of Flanders. Madouas will miss La Grande Boucle for the first time since 2020. He will open his season on February 15 at the Clásica de Almería.

Grégoire will primarily target the Ardennes classics: Brabantse Pijl, Amstel Gold Race, La Flèche Wallonne, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Additionally, he will compete in the E3 Saxo Classic, Dwars door Vlaanderen, and the Tour of Flanders. As last year, he will also line up at the start of the Tour de France.