La Vuelta 2025: Late ambush sees daring David Gaudu shock Mads Pedersen and Jonas Vingegaard on Stage 3
Updated 25/08/2025 at 19:17 GMT+1
David Gaudu tore up the script on Stage 3 of La Vuelta, ambushing Mads Pedersen and Jonas Vingegaard with a fearless inside line on the last bend. The Frenchman timed his attack to perfection, bursting clear to snatch a victory few saw coming. Meanwhile, Jonas Vingegaard finished third to keep the leader's red jersey. The race heads into France on Tuesday and reaches Spanish soil on Wednesday.
Highlights: Gaudu beats Vingegaard and Pedersen to Stage 3 win after last-gasp dive bomb
Video credit: TNT Sports
David Gaudu was left shaking his head in disbelief after pulling off a shock win on Stage 3 of La Vuelta, outfoxing Mads Pedersen and Jonas Vingegaard in the final metres.
The Frenchman (Groupama-FDJ) darted up the inside of race leader Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) and stage favourite Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) on the last hairpin, then powered to the line.
Visma had raised the tempo with 2km to go before Lidl-Trek assumed control. Yet Gaudu launched a daring move on the apex and maintained his higher speed for a remarkable victory.
Despite packing almost 2000m of climbing into its short, 134km distance, the Vuelta's final full day in Italy was tailor-made for Pedersen, one of the stand-out riders of the season. A mid-stage second category climb offered an opportunity for his team to hurt the legs of his sprint rivals, while the uphill finish, not steep enough for true climbers to take advantage, was where he would finish them off. If all went to plan. Almost.
The rest of the peloton seemed to agree that it was Lidl-Trek's to lose, obliging them to police the breakaway contenders and lock it down at a moment of their choosing. When they did, after just 10km had elapsed, it was just four riders strong. Consisting of Sean Quinn (EF Education-EasyPost), Lars van Boven (Intermarche-Wanty) and Patrick Gamper (Jayco AlUla), plus the wearer - but not holder - of the polka dot jersey, Alessandro Verre (Arkea B&B Hotels.)
Verre was looking to regain the lead in the competition outright, which meant his effective finish line was the summit of the Issiglio climb, which came 74km into the stage. Too many teams in the peloton had designs on the stage win to allow the breakaway much time, and a lead of 2'40'' was the most they would be given all day.
Cooperation between the quartet did not last long, as Verre was prepared to leave nothing to chance. He kicked out early on the climb, shattering the consensus and saying goodbye to all but Quinn, the only rider able to hold the wheel. The Italian took his target five points over the top before the pair dropped back down into the valley.
Behind, the racing was heating up, as Lidl-Trek looked to put some of the heavier riders under pressure. The pressure was enough to put Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) out the back but he was able to reconnect on the descent.
Quinn and Verre took the top two places at the intermediate sprint but the peloton caught Gamper and Van Boven before the line, allowing Pedersen to pick up 15 points in that competition.
Verre said goodbye to Quinn with 38km to go, giving him an uncontested run at the day's combativity award. The American was caught 20 minutes later by a rampant, Lidl-Trek-led peloton.
Into the final phase of the race and Pedersen's team maintained a monopoly on the front of the bunch, doing everything they could to keep their leader safe, as well as the pressure on while deterring attacks. The uphill finish meant there was no 3km rule, so general classification contenders had to be no less vigilant, even if they lacked designs on the stage win. Two tight turns inside the last kilometre of the stage added an additional dimension to proceedings.
Before the day's racing started, Vingegaard had refused to rule out an interest in a second stage win, and tasked his team-mates with keeping his options open. Victor Campenaerts led the Visma train, while Andrea Bagioli was Pedersen's last man. No-one was really watching Gaudu, who freelanced his way to fifth as they neared the final right-hand bend, which came 75m from the line.
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'I was thinking this morning...' - Gaudu admits Stage 3 victory was a surprise
Video credit: TNT Sports
Bagioli pulled aside to give Pedersen a clear run into the corner, with Vingegaard on his wheel. Gaudu picked that as his moment to dart up the inside, and while Pedersen had to brake to prevent himself from going into the barriers, the Frenchman could afford to apply full power to the line and take a memorable win. It was his first Grand Tour stage victory since the 2020 Vuelta, while bonus seconds moved him up to second overall, level on time with Vingegaard.
The rider was in disbelief afterwards, having agreed "on the bus this morning that the finish was more for Pedersen." He had drawn confidence from his team who "said I could win today."
Vingegaard, for his part, was "happy to make it through." He appeared to question the ethics of David Gaudu's last ditch "divebomb", which he called "quite a move" before accepting "that's cycling."
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