Thomas Siniecki, Media365: published on Monday, September 23, 2024 at 9:52 p.m.
Arnaud Démare (Arkea – BB Hotels) is back in form, winning a great sprint on Sunday in Chauny,
It was not a cheap victory for Arnaud Démare on Paris-Chauny, a classic won last season by Jasper Philipsen. And where the Picard, this year at home, therefore beat Paul Penhoet (Groupama – FDJ), Milan Fretin (Cofidis), Hugo Hofstetter (Israel – Premier Tech) and Jason Tesson (TotalEnergies), a nice top 5 and we also find Luca Mozzato (Démare’s teammate at Arkea – Bamp;B Hotels) a little further back in tenth place. Starting exactly from Margny-lès-Compiègne (Oise) to arrive at Chauny (Aisne), the race simply represents Démare’s 97th professional victory.
“It will do everyone good”
“Before the sprint, it was already quite tiring with many attacks, so it’s true that this finale with a bend 300 metres away is not really what I like,” describes the man who has waited so long for success in this first season with his new team, after more than twelve years with Groupama – FDJ. It was on 23 August during the last stage of the Tour Poitou-Charentes – which had allowed him to pocket the green jersey – where the podium was exactly the same as in Chauny.
“I often came and left with a top 10 without being able to impose myself, it’s done in front of my family and friends… To be able to win at home in front of them, it’s special!” This second victory in 2024 perhaps calls for others, from Wednesday at Houtland (in Belgium)? “After a first race in Belgium on Friday, it feels good to win at least one in this sequence, it will do everyone good.” Recalling again the big race that had already been established before the sprint, “even three kilometers from the finish, it was undecided”, he just had the legs: “I went around the bend in fourth or fifth position and I launched from very far, I felt that I could do it.” A sign of a confidence that, at the very least, is slowly returning.
