Arnaud Démare: “Always a special moment”

PresentationOct 4, 2024

World Team TeamParis-Tours

Arnaud Démare talks about the classic of the "dead leaves", Paris-Tours, a race in which he has won twice.

Originally from Tours, Léonard Cosnier, sports director of the continental development team ARKEA-B&B HOTELS particularly appreciates the classic of the dead leaves.

Arnaud Démare

Paris-Tours is a race that has always been important in my career. It is generally, in fact, the event that concludes my seasons on the road. There is always a special atmosphere on this classic which in recent years has added vineyard paths to its course. I thought that this addition would not be favorable to me, but finally, I managed twice in recent years to win on the Avenue de Grammont, winning in two different ways. I am, as in every race, motivated at the start of this event that suits me, but on which, you also have to have a little luck on your side. I will give my all this year again on this beautiful classic of the French calendar with the desire to achieve the best possible result, whatever the scenario that this race may offer. We will also have a strong ARKEA-B&B HOTELS collective to compete in this 2024 edition of Paris-Tours.

Yvon Ledanois

Sports Director

Paris-Tours is the last classic on the French calendar, it is a race that is part of cycling heritage, because big names have won on Avenue de Grammont, including Arnaud Démare, twice. This year again, we will have a strong and ambitious team at the start of this race, built around Arnaud Démare who will benefit from the support of Luca Mozzato, Amaury Capiot, Florian Sénéchal, Miles Scotson, Matîs Louvel and Anthony Delaplace who will be the road captain of the ARKEA-B&B HOTELS team. We know from experience that Paris-Tours is a classic that can either be won in a sprint with a large number of riders, in a group in small committees, or if the weather conditions are more difficult, and in particular with wind, between escaped riders. The goal on Sunday will be for the ARKEA-B&B HOTELS team riders to be focused in order to be able to respond to all types of race scenarios with the aim of making the red and black "Excalibur" jersey of the ARKEA-B&B HOTELS team shine as best as possible.

Lucas Janssen

I will be taking part in Paris-Tours for the first time in my career, a competition that is a great classic for U23 riders. The first part can be exposed to the wind, so you will have to be careful and attentive. I like the vineyard paths because they are similar to cyclocross, especially since I have trained a few times in cyclocross this year already. I hope to be able to transpose these good sessions to the vineyard paths of Paris-Tours. I feel good at the moment, I am coming off a good Tour d'Eure et Loir with the ARKEA-B&B HOTELS continental development team, so it is up to us to continue this momentum on Sunday. But, I am confident.

Léonard Cosnier

Directeur sportif

Paris-Tours is an important classic for the Espoirs category, with roughly the same course as the professionals, with paths in the final that will undoubtedly make the difference. It’s a very tough classic, and one that has a special flavor for me who comes from Tours, which allows me to know the roads well. It was a rather sprinter-oriented event in the past, now with the paths the cards have been reshuffled, with a bit of luck. Attention will have to be paid to the first part of the race, with the possibility of wind, therefore of eaves. We will be driven by ambitions with riders who like this type of course, and with the profile of cyclo-crossmen, Lucas Janssen and Rémi Lelandais, but also Hugh Harvey, Giosué Epis, sprinters, and Pierre Thierry who also appreciates this event on which he signed a podium (3rd), last year.

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