[melancholy notes playing on piano]
[Chainel] In this last week of the Tour,
everyone is wrecked, burnt out.
But when you manage to reach the podium, it stays with you for life.
[crowd cheering]
[Madiot] To have a rider on the Tour de France podium,
for Groupama-FDJ, it's the Holy Grail.
We're approaching the end of the Tour de France
with strength, ambition, and determination.
We're playing against behemoths.
We have half the resources those teams have.
[Cummings] Geraint will continue to fight.
The team objective,
to get on the podium.
I still wanna perform in the Tour.
I still wanna be there in the high mountains.
This is probably the last chance that someone can overtake me in third.
I'm in the twilight of my career.
But when it comes to racing, I can still be competitive.
Go, David, go!
We have what it takes.
We have to get back in the fight.
[jet engines roaring]
TOUR DE FRANCE: UNCHAINED
ALL OUT FOR THE PODIUM
[tense music playing]
2 MONTHS BEFORE THE TOUR DE FRANCE
CEO / GROUPAMA-FDJ
My only obsession, the only thing that interests me,
is how my riders will respond and helping them be better.
My ambitions are really simple, to finish on the Tour de France podium.
Every team is a rival team. [chuckles]
[Chainel] When we see the power of the big teams nowadays,
it's obvious that French teams have to up their game
and close the gap that separates them from the big teams.
Are you trying to impress me or what?
[Chainel] Marc Madiot doesn't have an unlimited budget.
He doesn't have deep pockets to buy a top leader.
If he wants hope of winning the Tour de France some day,
he has to make do with a rider that he can nurture and develop,
little by little.
[tense music playing]
PRESS CONFERENCE GROUPAMA-FDJ
Shall I do the intro and leave?
CLIMBER / GROUPAMA-FDJ
[Chainel] Thibaut Pinot has been the Groupama-FDJ leader for eight years.
But since placing third in 2014,
the team hasn't managed a top ten finish in the general classification.
Marc Madiot had to get radical.
[Madiot] Ready? Okay, hello, everyone.
It's a real pleasure to be here at the start of the Tour de France.
The end goal of the game is to make an assault,
an assault on the podium.
So, I'll get right to it.
On this Tour de France, we'll start with David Gaudu as leader.
That's what the team is there for,
and we're going to try to do our best around David.
He deserves a chance to reach the Tour de France podium.
When Marc Madiot announced David Gaudu as Groupama-FDJ leader,
it didn't get full public support.
The first Frenchman we're going to talk about is David Gaudu.
It's tricky. He's not Thibaut Pinot.
He's never had a big result
in the general classification of the Tour de France.
A CLOSER LOOK AT FRENCH CYCLISTS
If he finds himself fighting for sixth or eighth place, like I said,
it's going to be hard to cheer for him.
[Madiot] David was chosen as leader simply because
he has the physical and technical qualities needed.
People will make up their own minds on social networks.
This year, we have objective benchmarks.
We know what we need to do to achieve the podium.
Thibaut Pinot is a great rider, but he's more about the past.
Whereas Gaudu is more about the future.
[melodic electronic music playing]
[Gaudu] Hi, everyone! Hope you're doing well.
So, the mic is on, I'm just gonna turn the background sound down.
Everyone is different and has something that makes them tick.
I like spending time alone because I'm pretty shy.
And so, let's go. Let's go, friends!
I started cycling when I was six, and it's all I've ever done.
I think what I really enjoyed was expending a lot of energy,
being able to be outdoors.
For me, since I was a kid,
the Tour de France has always made me dream because
it's one of the biggest events in the world.
Boom, there. Let's go.
Gaudu, if he wasn't a pro cyclist, he'd be totally inconspicuous.
The kind of inconspicuousness he has in everyday life,
he turns that into a strength.
TOUR DE FRANCE COMBATIVITY AWARD
And into the ability to develop himself and surpass others when he's cycling.
[commentator] It is going to be a win here for David Gaudu,
of the team of Groupama-FDJ.
[Gaudu yelling]
David Gaudu sneaks underneath Wout van Aert on the right-hand side.
That was spectacular.
Yes!
[crowd applauding]
[woman] Oh, great!
- Thanks. - The camera is helping.
- I've never been this good a mechanic! - [laughs] It's not usually that quick.
[Gaudu] We usually get angry and break everything. [laughs]
[woman] Boom.
I'll give you this too...
All good? Ready!
- Sure. I'm waiting. - Let's go then.
DAVID GAUDU'S PARTNER
[Gaudu] Marc told me, "Okay, David, you're going to be leader,
the role of leader in the Tour de France."
It shows the confidence the team has in me.
- [Duplouy grunts] - [Gaudu] It's pretty hot.
Some riders would rather not have the pressure of being leader.
It's a lot of pressure and a lot of stress.
But you learn to manage it.
How do you feel?
Fine. I'm learning how to rub up for the first week of the Tour.
[laughs]
[Gaudu] I'm someone who questions themselves all the time.
I think it's because I generally have a cautious approach to life.
I don't show my cards.
But I need to prove to myself that I can take on this role,
and that I can do it.
STAGE 12
[commentator] It's the second week of the tour. We're in the Alps.
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION YELLOW JERSEY
David Gaudu in the yellow jersey group.
Go, go!
I think David has what it takes to succeed.
But he needs to find the confidence
and the ambition needed to be a leader and to fight for the podium.
[commentator] And they're off on the Alpe d'Huez climb. Let the show begin!
DISTANCE COVERED: 150.8 KM TIME ELAPSED: 4 HRS 22M
[helicopter blades whirring]
ALPE D'HUEZ - 13.8 KM ASCENT ALTITUDE: 1,869 M
[commentator] Geraint Thomas within reach of the podium,
fourth place in the general classification.
David Gaudu alongside him.
Come on, keep going. Come on, that's good.
Maybe it's Gaudu's moment for general classification.
But is he able to keep up with the best climbers on the Tour?
[man] Get out.
[commentator] Pace is picking up at the front of the peloton.
A few riders have dropped back.
[dramatic music crescendos]
[commentator] Gaudu is in trouble! David Gaudu's in trouble and falling back.
David Gaudu, Groupama-FDJ, has fallen behind the yellow jersey group.
He's struggling.
A tough time for David Gaudu.
When you get to key points, the pressure really builds inside you.
I'd say it's more about the pressure you put on yourself.
Sometimes in the excitement of the moment,
you can get lost and maybe go off track a little.
[crowd cheering]
One kilometre for David.
Look at these three riders. Is this gonna be the podium in Paris?
Pogačar, Vingegaard, and Thomas
who's back in third place in the general classification.
- Good job, Stevo, mate. - Good job, boys. Thank you. Thanks, bud.
[cheering]
[commentator] David Gaudu fighting hard not to fall too far back in the GC.
He messed up on Alpe d'Huez.
Down to seventh place and far behind the top three.
[Gaudu] When I'm not happy with a stage, internally I'm like, "Dammit."
I mean, I'm disappointed for myself, disappointed for my teammates,
disappointed for my team.
[melancholy music playing]
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION YELLOW JERSEY
[journalist] We have three questions.
David, a mythical climb. How tough is it, especially in this heat?
Yeah, it's really tough in this heat.
It's fucking annoying. I don't have the self-confidence,
and I'm worried about burning out. So I go at my own pace.
I didn't have the self-confidence during that last climb,
with the heat and everything. So, there you go. That's the way it is.
[Madiot] If you're talented, but don't work on it,
and you don't have the mental or personal strength,
and if your don't have the ability to question yourself...
then you're not made for this job.
[beeps]
- [cameraman] Can we join you? - No. Please, leave me alone.
[cameraman] Sure.
GROUPAMA-FDJ TEAM MEETING
We suffered a defeat. I also read and saw in the media,
Groupama wants a podium win but wait,
Gaudu always has something wrong with him.
Well, no. That's not what you are.
It's not just the physical aspect.
It's also what's going on up here.
Yes, we're about to go through tough times.
But if you pull together, if you work together,
our strength is what we have inside us.
It's in our DNA,
it's our culture, our solidarity.
STAGE 14
[commentator] David Gaudu, near his limits,
crossing the finish line just ahead of Geraint Thomas
and clawing back a few seconds.
And you have to find the strength and teamwork inside you
that is going to get you out of this rut.
STAGE 16
[commentator] What a comeback for David Gaudu!
The Frenchman is eyeing the podium.
Seven riders have to be there to support him.
STAGE 17
[commentator] What incredible work for Gaudu from his team.
Now it's up to him to finish the job.
Everyone here is committed, behind you.
So we're going to get what we came for,
a podium win on the Tour.
If you believe it, then you might succeed.
And if you don't believe it, then it's over.
[commentator] Gaudu is giving his all!
[crowd banging]
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION YELLOW JERSEY
[Chainel] David Gaudu's turnaround after cracking on the Alpe d'Huez stage
is simply remarkable.
But if he wants to secure the famous podium
that Groupama has hoped for since 2014,
then he's going to have to challenge a former Tour winner, Geraint Thomas.
[Thomas] You do forget how tired you get.
By the time you get to this stage, you always forget how you start to feel.
And a couple of weeks after, you're looking forward to the next time.
It's sadistic.
[chuckles]
This year's Tour is... as hard as ever.
But I still want to perform in the Tour,
as long as I can be there,
in touching distance of the yellow jersey.
But the press this year,
it's like, "Oh, G's, like, a bit old now."
"And he's not as good as what he used to be and stuff."
Which is fine.
That's just the way it is, and just got to accept it.
The situation at the moment is looking good, obviously.
Ideally, it'd be nice to just keep that advantage and, you know,
prove a lot of people wrong.
I think a lot of people have been writing Geraint Thomas off,
writing his career off, and saying
that he's not going to be a serious contender.
But sometimes I do think
he deserves to not have to fight quite so hard.
I kind of felt like
it's more just that hunger in me to just wanna...
do well, and all the sacrifices I've made all year,
all the time away from family and stuff, just...
make sure that's worthwhile, you know?
My wife, she goes through it all with me really. Um...
Yeah, all the injuries,
the pressure and everything,
she lives it.
She obviously gets super excited and really happy when I do well, but
she doesn't get to stand on the podium.
- All right. Stand up. - [Thomas] Nice one. [grunts]
[cell phone chimes]
So, Sar's just texted me.
"You were in high school before Jonas and Pogačar were born."
[laughing]
Well, thanks for the support, dear
[soft music playing]
[Thomas] I can see, sort of...
that my career's gonna stop soon. You know?
And it's not gonna go on forever.
To go from, like, I've done 16 years pro now,
you know, to just stop and not have anything.
GERAINT THOMAS' WIFE
Just want to be a bit prepared for that, really.
More psych... Mentally.
I think when you retire,
I'm used to you being away for, well, most of the year, so...
- If he's... - We'll be getting a divorce.
[laughs] Don't say that!
[both laugh]
[Millar] Geraint Thomas, he's not been at
what I would call his best for a couple of years.
For one reason or another.
And this does feel like the last chance saloon for him
to prove himself.
And to show the world what... what he is.
Because he is a great, great rider.
[Sara] Hopefully, you'll get to... when you do decide to retire it will be...
Not many people get to retire on their own terms.
So hopefully, you know, that'll be a big thing,
and that's kinda why we're trying to do as much as we can with Max now,
take him to all the races,
because we're fully aware it doesn't last forever.
Yeah.
Geraint Thomas has to prove himself. Despite his age, he has to show his team
that he's capable of reaching the podium in Paris.
STAGE 18
[intense music playing]
Today is the 18th stage. A big fight on this Tour.
The last big fight in the mountains.
[Chainel] After three weeks of racing,
we've reached the ultimate test for the world's best riders, the Pyrenees.
[commentator] Here, the climbs are steeper and shorter than in the Alps.
[intense music playing]
The humidity will be suffocating. It's going to be a very intense day.
The contenders for third place on the podium are Geraint Thomas,
Nairo Quintana, and the Frenchman David Gaudu.
They won't give up.
[Chainel] In this final week, the riders have given everything
for their place in the general classification.
Losing it all is out of the question.
The terrain, you see, at the start there's a little hill,
after that, it's flatter, and then you have the three big passes.
Which you're familiar with.
[Gaudu] I just love the last three weeks of the major tours.
I've always done well.
I tell myself that if I have legs for the third week of a major tour,
then I can achieve something huge.
You always try and look ahead and keep moving forward but,
yeah, definitely gotta be aware of the guys behind,
because there's some strong riders there.
[commentator] Stage 18 from Lourdes to Hautacam,
a distance of 143 kilometres.
Third place in the general classification is in play.
[announcer] Five, four, three, two, one...
They're off!
[crowd cheering]
[commentator] Everything is set for this to be an intense stage.
Leaving Lourdes for Col d'Aubisque,
Col de Spandelles, and the final climb to Hautacam.
Immediate acceleration from the green jersey, Wout van Aert.
[intense music playing]
[Thomas] The Pyrenees, in general, are kinda seen as a bit more dangerous.
The day where you think there's the most chance of something to go wrong.
[crowd cheering]
[commentator] The peloton is in an area of winding hairpin turns.
You can do everything right,
but it just takes one thing to go wrong,
then you're out of the race.
- [horn honking] - [brakes squealing]
Whoa!
[commentator] Oh, a big crash!
Fucking hell!
- [exclaims] - Oh!
My gosh! Is this the first Tour de France you've driven in?
Stay calm, mate.
Yeah, right.
Photographer motorbikes!
[exhales]
10.3 KM ASCENT ALTITUDE: 1,378 M
The yellow jersey group arrives at the foot of the penultimate challenge,
the pace intensifies.
DISTANCE COVERED: 102 KM TIME ELAPSED: 2 HRS 47 M
[commentator] Vingegaard is on Pogačar's wheel,
who is still there and behind Geraint Thomas.
David Gaudu is in the front group. Still pursuing a place on the podium.
A mountain stage is mostly a test of strength and endurance.
You have to be mentally strong, especially to get a podium win.
[commentator] The heat and the pace are hellish.
It must be suffocating for the riders.
[Thomas] I think experience comes into play.
It's definitely easy to try and push hard on the pedals for the win,
but it's knowing that not to exert yourself too much
'cause you're just gonna blow up, and you can't sustain that.
So, I think that's
a big part of it as well, just understanding your body.
And know how deep you can go.
Another difficult climb for David Gaudu.
He drops behind the yellow jersey group.
No.
First off, the fatigue is in the mind.
Once you're in a downward spiral, it's very hard to escape it.
You know you're one of the best climbers, so don't panic.
[Gaudu] A little thought popped in my head going,
"Damn it, I've worked hard,
I may lose time on Thomas and Quintana."
I have to bounce back for my team.
I have to go for it and achieve something. You know?
[commentator] Let's see if David Gaudu has the legs to try and close the gap.
[Madiot] If you can go further in terms of suffering and sacrifice,
then you may have a chance.
And that gives you confidence, strength, and a certain serenity about oneself.
[commentator] Gaudu has caught up to Quintana.
He moves up to fourth place in the general classification
and is closing in on Geraint Thomas.
[clapping]
13.6 KM ASCENT 1,520 M ALTITUDE
[commentator] Hautacam is a monster,
the last off-the-charts climb of the Tour de France.
A 13.6 kilometre climb, it's far and it's steep the whole way.
Geraint Thomas doubling down to stay close to the favourites.
DISTANCE COVERED: 128.9 KM TIME ELAPSED: 3 HRS 29 M
[tense music playing]
Come on. G., you need to squeeze it all out,
all the way to the top.
Thomas has a 43-second lead over Gaudu.
Thomas right behind the yellow jersey, but he's not looking comfortable.
[Cummings] Come on, G, you're pacing, mate. You're pacing.
Come on, man. All the way to the top.
[commentator] Geraint Thomas falls back, losing metre after metre.
[crowd cheering]
You've got around three K, around 3 K now,
and it's steep like this, 9, 10% come on, G.
[commentator] Now's not the time to crack. The podium win is in play here.
Fucking hell. Don't cock it up, G.
Geraint Thomas has dropped.
- Excellent! - Dropped behind the yellow jersey group.
Yes!
[Madiot] There's no room for sentimentality
about people who achieved great things in the past.
That doesn't exist.
The young ones are there to take the place of the older ones,
and the older ones are there to try and keep going and put off the end.
But the end always comes, no matter who you are.
[Chainel] When you go it alone, the climb is always more difficult.
That's when a leader needs his team.
[crowd cheering]
[commentator] Gaudu is on Madouas' wheel.
Just 22 seconds behind Thomas. The gap is closing.
To be a leader, you have to believe in yourself.
But you also have to trust your teammates.
[Guesdon] Come on, the three of you are gonna be at the summit. Go, go, go.
Come on, guys. We've gained 15 seconds in five kilometres.
[commentator] Madouas moves out of the way. Gaudu is on his own.
But it won't last, because Thibaut Pinot is just in front,
re ady to help out his leader.
We have a whole team behind us so that naturally gives you
a big boost of confidence.
[commentator] Just another 13 seconds between Geraint Thomas and David Gaudu.
Thibaut Pinot has given everything.
The French rider is alone now to try and close the gap.
[Gaudu] You're always after that third place.
Anything can happen during the third week of Tour.
So many riders can fall out that we believe we have a chance.
[fans] Go, go, go, go!
[Thomas] Got a flat. Back wheel.
- Back wheel. - Change the bike.
Yeah.
Your back wheel's flat, G. We can change your bike if you need.
[Guesdon] Come on! They're ten seconds ahead of you.
Change the bike. We got a puncture.
Change bike, change bike.
Go! Go!
[intense music playing]
Looking good, bud.
So, Dani wait for G, please. Dani, wait for G.
G, you call it, mate. You call it. Tell him what to do.
[commentator] David Gaudu closing in on Geraint Thomas,
who has third place.
[Gaudu] At that moment, you know very well
that to get a podium in the Tour, it's now or never.
[crowd cheering]
[Thomas] I've definitely gotten stronger psychologically.
As you rise, the more experience you get.
It can help you keep going and staying in that front.
Dani and G,
you've gotta fight all the way to the line. Come on.
[Gaudu] There's an adrenaline rush when you catch another rider.
Because you tell yourself, "Okay, I caught up,
so maybe I can beat him."
Or, anyway, you want to overtake him.
[commentator] David Gaudu attempts an attack.
Gaudu's attacking.
Gaudu's accelerating!
Gaudu has just made an attack on Thomas.
[commentator] Thomas holds on.
If you have riders who are equally matched physically,
it all comes down to psychology.
It's who can withstand that pain the longest,
and that's a mental element.
That's where you crack your rivals.
Yes!
[dramatic music playing]
[commentator] The third and fourth riders in the general classification
are wheel to wheel.
[Gaudu] Five hundred metres from the Hautacam finish line,
you get an adrenaline rush.
You know the race is in play.
You can lose everything at that moment,
so you're totally focused.
[commentator] Last corner before the Hautacam finish,
what a duel!
[dramatic music continues]
[Thomas] The main thing is blocking out those demons telling you just to ease up.
You think you're tired, but, suddenly, you find just new limits.
[commentator] Last push from Geraint Thomas,
who consolidates his third place in the general classification.
And what a stage for David Gaudu,
a Frenchman and fourth in the general classification.
- [radio beeps] - Well done. Well done, guys.
Fucking hell, that was hard!
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION YELLOW JERSEY
[Thomas] Another hard day, obviously.
I'm glad the mountains are over, to be fair.
You go back 12 months, to how much you were suffering,
- did you think you'd be in this position? - I always believed. I think, uh...
not many other people did.
Did the team have the same level of belief that you had in yourself?
Uh, I don't think so, really. I think...
It's all talk about younger generation now, and this and that.
You know, it is what it is. Uh...
So, it's nice to be riding well and just be best of the rest, so to speak.
I can be really happy with proving people wrong.
Just saying, "I can still do it."
I can still be competitive and be right up there
and just proving to myself as well, because I... I believed I could.
But it's one thing actually believing and another actually doing it.
It was satisfying.
Can you podium in another Grand Tour?
[Thomas chuckles] Let's get this one over first, shall we?
Yeah. Okay.
[Chennaoui] I like the chip on Geraint Thomas' shoulder.
He maybe deserves a bit more of that respect.
But maybe that's part of his makeup
and it's what pushes him on so much anyway.
Once again, we're seeing a fighting Geraint Thomas,
and it's worked.
We're currently fourth in the Tour. For us, the race is a success.
[reporter] It's the best result for a Frenchman since 2017.
For sure, it's the best result for a Frenchman since 2017.
Marc Madiot had a lot of criticism when he named David Gaudu as team leader.
Okay, fourth place isn't a podium finish,
but it's the best result in many years.
Look at you now. Have you seen your level now?
- Yes, I know the level I'm at. - There you go.
Don't change anything, it's all good.
The Pyrenees allowed him to make great strides
and to be sure of himself and reassure himself.
And that's something powerful and important for the future.
[all singing along to "L'Amérique Pleure" by Les Cowboys Fringants]
I don't want to stop at fourth place, that's for sure.
I want to create a wave that will carry us higher
and that's going to enable us to get even closer to the best.
[all continues singing]
In my wildest dreams,
I hope that I'll be the next rider to win the Tour de France.
But only time will tell.
[continue singing]
- [all clapping] - [man] Bravo, Stefan!
[song ends]
We're pleased.
We're happy with what we achieved.
But we also know that we can't let ourselves get carried away by it all.
Because that could turn against us.
Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogačar.
A man-against-man fight for the yellow jersey.
[interviewer] Are you still optimistic that you can win the Tour de France 2022?
Yeah.
[commentator] The attack is on.
[Vingegaard] We'll need to have Wout help me to win the Tour de France.
[Jakobsen] The Champs-Élysées is the most iconic sprint finish of the year.
[yelling]
[Philipsen] Everybody wants to win.
[van Aert] But first you have to get over the mountains.
[commentator] Wout van Aert has dropped.
I could lose the Tour.
He's my friend.
[intense synth theme music playing]