Released, Arnaud Démare wins Paris-Bourges in the sprint

On Thursday morning, he had “made himself desired”, according to the onlookers gathered on the Place de la Victoire in Gien, around the Arkéa-Samsic bus, while the kids from the surrounding schools were shouting their “Arnaud!” Arnaud! Arnaud! » From time to time, hands, probably those of a teammate of Arnaud Démare – since it is him -, pushed aside the curtain and suggested that he was going to go down in a moment but the French sprinter maintained still the suspense.

Picard finally descended the few steps of the vehicle, to cheers, all smiles without knowing that a few hours later, he would win this Paris-Bourges, ahead of Arnaud De Lie and Jordi Meeus.

“My goal was to win for Arkéa at the end of the season, to thank them for trusting me from August 1st”

The 95th victory of his career, the second with the Arkéa jersey that he has worn since this summer, after the Tour de Vendée on Sunday, far from his spleen at the start of the season which began under the colors of Groupama-FDJ: “My objective was to win for Arkéa at the end of the season, to thank them for trusting me from August 1st. I’m “re-belote” today (Thursday), it feels really good after a very morally difficult season. The team did a great job again, I knew it was going to be a great sprint, with even better competition compared to the Tour de Vendée. »

Paris-Tours in the viewfinder

De Lie and Meeus therefore, but also Paul Penhoët (4th), Arne Marit, Danny van Poppel… Démare has put a spin on a peloton which, at the end of the season, is starting to “smoke black”, to resume the expression of Bryan Coquard (8th). And, on Sunday, Paris-Tours, another French classic that the triple French champion “likes”, since he won the last two editions, looms: “I know that it has never been done to win three times in a row, we will try to take advantage of the spiral. » His has been positive for a week.