Arnaud Démare discussion thread

[Valv.Piti]

This will be Arnauds big year, 3 stage wins in Tour de France. Hear me now, believe me later!

 

[Pantani_lives]

I don't think he can beat Kittel and Greipel in the first week, but if he holds on he might win when the others get tired or leave the race. Perhaps a French victory on the Champs-Élysées?

 

[May0maniac]

Re:

I don't think he can beat Kittel and Greipel in the first week, but if he holds on he might win when the others get tired or leave the race. Perhaps a French victory on the Champs-Élysées?

Maybe not Kittel, but he should be able to beat Greipel.

 

[Tonton]

Bravo Nono! Nacer ticked off is the cherry on the cake . A 100% Kittel is better than him, otherwise Demare is as good a sprinter as anyone.

 

[RedheadDane]

Re:

2-1
(Pictures removed, see original post.)

Wait-wait-what? That kid in the first photo is Bouhanni?
Think it says something about their... erhm... lack of team spirit that they are both significantly not celebrating the other's win in the photos from when they were teammates, in fact in both in rather looks like they were sprinting against each other.

 

[swissfr]

Bouhanni and Démare hate each other

 

[RedheadDane]

Yeah. Like I said: "lack of team-spirit."
Which, might have been putting it mildly...

 

[Tonton]

Re:

Bouhanni and Démare hate each other

Yep...and Demare's celebration after the line was very telling, turning to his right fist pumping in Nacer's face. No love between the two, and the problem for Bouhani is that Demare consistently beats him head to head, It may have been 50-50 a couple of years ago, not anymore.

 

[jsem94]

Class rider. Bouhanni looked so enraged, but he was beaten by the better rider.

 

[SafeBet]

Love the rivalry. Demare was the fastest today, but he also had a significant team advantage. FDJ was outstanding today.

 

[jmdirt]

Demare is lucky that BoomBoom Bohanni didn't punch him! Demare should be in the mix at la TdF.

 

[Alexandre B.]

I'm afraid that in order to win a stage, Kittel has to mess up the sprint prep.

Anyway, it was his best display in the Tour.

 

[Brullnux]

Re:

I'm afraid that in order to win a stage, Kittel has to mess up the sprint prep.

Anyway, it was his best display in the Tour.

That'll happen, it always does. He's normally most concentrated at the beginning of the Tour, but by stage 6 or 7 he begins to make mistakes and loses positions very easily.

 

[Tonton]

fantastic sprint. Nono lost his lead out, got stuck in the middle, found a way out, wow!!! Against the cream of thee crop (only Gaviria was missing). That's very encouraging. He'll win one.

 

[Squire]

Re: Re:

I'm afraid that in order to win a stage, Kittel has to mess up the sprint prep.

Anyway, it was his best display in the Tour.

That'll happen, it always does. He's normally most concentrated at the beginning of the Tour, but by stage 6 or 7 he begin some to make mistakes and loses positions very easily.

I agree. I think the only year where the dominant sprinter never messed up his lead-out was 2009. However, there is some serious competition for who steps up when Kittel/QS make a mistake.

 

[Tonton]

It's becoming increasingly clear that Demare has stepped up a notch. When he won MSR, there was the Demare-Bouhani-Coquard debate...no more debate. It was Cavendish-Kittel-Greipel, then a second tier with Kristoff and DEgenkolb, maybe Sagan...Demare was on the next lower tier. Not anymore IMO.

Bravo Madiot! And Bravo Nono for the hard work. Recruiting alone doesn't explain the progress that took place. Not to take credit away from DC and GG. Today was a free for all. I jst re-watched the sprint for (probably) the tenth time. Strength, confidence, patience, and finally power as he went around Kittel.

The question is not (or no longer) if Arnaud can win a TdF stage against the best: it is when...

 

[jsem94]

Fully agreed with the above poster. He's steadily improved and will build a massive palmares. He'll probably get at least a stage this Tour given how many opportunities the sprinters have.

 

[jaylew]

It's becoming increasingly clear that Demare has stepped up a notch. When he won MSR, there was the Demare-Bouhani-Coquard debate...no more debate. It was Cavendish-Kittel-Greipel, then a second tier with Kristoff and DEgenkolb, maybe Sagan...Demare was on the next lower tier. Not anymore IMO.

I'm not convinced of any of that, really. He certainly can't be put in any tier above 2 or 3 with no GT wins. Kittel, Greipel, Cav, Ewan, Bouhanni, Gaviria, Kristoff, Sagan and Degenkolb all have multiple GT stage wins and even Coquard had as good a GT record as Démare before today.

He could certainly prove me wrong this Tour but I haven't seen anything from him yet to put him in the top tier of sprinters. Anyway, if ever it was the year for him to pick up a win, it's this one, with the number of sprint opportunities plus Cav possibly being off his game a bit - and before Gaviria and Ewan start coming to the Tour.

Before the Tour started I had been thinking about who I thought were the best sprinters who haven't won a GT stage and was thinking about starting a thread. Anyway, I came up with (before the Tdf start):

Nizzolo - 6 GTs, 9 2nds, 5 3rds
Coquard - 3 GTs, 2 2nds, 2 3rds
Démare - 4 GTs, 2 2nds, 2 3rds
Bennett - 3 GTs, 1 2nd, 3 3rds
Groenewegen - 1 GT, no podiums yet

Anyone else worth a mention?

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re:

There are (at least) 5 sprintera better than him. He won't win a single stage in tour

:lol:

Arnaud! I knew it!

 

[Brullnux]

Re:

There are (at least) 5 sprintera better than him. He won't win a single stage in tour

Close.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Good job Demare. Happy he finally got a GT stage.

 

[Tonton]

I won't rub it in jaylew and portugal11...ooops, I just did .

The question wasn't if but when, and it was today. Hectic sprint, great win for Nono! Huge win!

Win and green jersey in Nacer's hometown, it doesn't get much better than that considering the relationship between the two.

Wow!!! It was worth the wait...

 

[RedheadDane]

Bouhanni is gonna be thrilled!











Or not...

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Would be disappointing at this point if he doesn't win 2 stages in TdF considering the route and Cavendishs health

Great sprint by Arnaud! He will win 2 stages more this Tour.

Still, I can't really get too excited about a stage win in such an utterly boring and meaningless stage I must admit.

 

[IndianCyclist]

a bunch sprint victory for the french in the tdf after a long time. Deserved victory after he stepped up a level this year