His future was decided long before the Tour. Not selected for the Grande Boucle by his Groupama-FDJ team, which favored its climbers Gaudu and Pinot, Arnaud Démare then learned from Marc Madiot that he would not be retained at the end of his contract, which ends this season. According to the newspaper l’Equipe, the 31-year-old sprinter will join Arkéa-B&B Hotels (his new name) next season.
The triple champion of France (2014, 2017 and 2020) should sign for two years within a Breton formation led by Emmanuel Hubert who should make him its leader. The Picard sprinter is indeed a major asset in the hunt for UCI points, essential to stay in the elite. In turn, the arrival of Arnaud Démare should lead to the departure of his former tricolor rival, the sprinter Nacer Bouhanni. The two runners, opposite in their style and personality, had already run under the same colors within the FDJ between 2011 and 2014 when they did not get along. A not-so-successful experience. Bouhanni, 32, who never returned to his level after his fall in April 2022 at the Tour of Turkey having sidelined him from the pelotons for nine months, could announce the end of his career after three seasons spent at Arkéa-Samsic.
