Arnaud Démare talks about his difficult 2024 season, between cycling career and family life

Three years after the release of a first book, Arnaud Démare returned to his 2024 season, through a second writing. A year marked by sporting difficulties, but also by intra-family problems. During a major interview given to France 3 Hauts-de-France, the runner returned to these moments.

“At the beginning, the project was to tell the story of my arrival at Arkéa-B&B Hôtels. The change of team, my fatherhood with my daughter who is now 20 months old.“At the beginning of December 2024, Arnaud Démare, originally from Beauvais, shared with us behind the scenes of his second book, A year in my wheel 2released a month earlier.

The logbook drifted, “gradually towards a diary“, testifies the professional runner. This is why he “hesitated for a long time“to stop its publication.”It was just too intimate. Too hard too. I don't just say nice things. We want to show that we are strong, that we are doing well and ultimately, I'm talking about a year that was a bit of a struggle. This isn't necessarily what I originally wanted. I wanted to tell about the bouquets, the cups, the trophies brought home. And ultimately, that’s not the case.“

“By writing this book, I was able to put myself a little higher” on the past year. It evokes a “precipitation“during the first races.”You feel a lot of energy wanting to show your worth from the start of the season, I go there with full speed, and finally, I get exhausted.“

In the book, Arnaud Démare also talks about his intra-family problems. Trials in which many people can find themselves, he says. This is one of the reasons that pushed him to complete the process. “I explain my paternity, it's magnificent. Now there are also difficulties for my wife (during) my absences. It's true that all alone, when you have to manage the child, the work routine, getting home, it's a bit of a race. My absences are not easy.“He’s talking about one.”pression” that he relied on his family to perform.

A pressure which results in “sacrifices“and”requirements“. The sprinter takes as an example the refusal of certain meals with friends, in order to be able to go to bed early. But also the fact of “not walking around town on the market because I have to do my four hours of cycling, because I must not trample too much. There is a requirement around performance which is always omnipresent. Even when I'm not on my bike, she's there. We live with it. But with a child, it's even more difficult. It's not easy.“

There is also a lot of talk about guilt in this book.

Arnaud Démare, sprinter from Arkéa-B&B Hotel

During the interview, the Isarian explains the long discussions with Morgane, his wife, so that she could write a letter testifying about her depression. “It wasn't easy. It was difficult for her, and therefore for us. She had this need to talk about it too, to show other women that there are times, it's very hard.“

A period that he had to manage remotely. “My wife was not well. She was fighting her way back from postpartum depression. For my part, I only wanted to end the season. And then, being with them, my wife and my daughter. There is also a lot of talk about guilt in this book. I didn't want that in ten years, my daughter would say she's dad, he stopped cycling when I was born, that my wife would say because of me, my husband didn't make it to the end of his career.“

The runner says he fought to continue, despite difficulties on a sporting level, in addition. He had health problems two months before the Tour de France. When speaking of this event, he thinks of a stage where “he was dead“in an ascent of a pass.”I thought of Morgane and she was my driving force […] with every pedal stroke I put on, I thought of her. At that moment, I fought for her.“

In this second book, Arnaud Démare also mentions retirement which will not come before the hundred victories. The runner is only three arm lifts away from this goal. He therefore reassures: “I don’t have a deadline. As long as I can enjoy training and enjoying the races, there is no reason for me to stop. As long as I perform well too, despite a difficult season.“He puts things into perspective:”I won two races. Some people struggle to win throughout their career. But if I get back to a normal pace, I won't stop at a hundred. Certainly not.“

The story of the 2024 season puts into perspective the numerous trips between his Picardy land and the trips for training courses or races. He says he never thought about moving, like many, for better weather.

“It is certain that there are many who emigrate to the Côte d'Azur for better working conditions. Now, I am very attached to my region, to my family. My sister and my parents are five minutes from my house. I have my grandparents, cousins, everyone is there. And, I'm too attached to that to go live elsewhere. I prefer to live here and ultimately try to leave often for internships. But, my base and where I recharge my batteries is here“, in Picardy.

As with the first opus, Arnaud Démare received help from Mathieu Coureau. Co-author, he is the one who translated the sensations he experienced on the bike, during the courses and races, through exchanges, via different media.

For the next season, the Isarien ensures “having returned to cycling with lots of motivation“. He hopes to unlock the hundred victories counter and once again raise his arms in the Tour de France.

With Gaëlle Fauquembergue / FTV