Arnaud Démare discussion thread

[roundabout]

I read on another forum that Demare now has the most Giro stage wins for French riders in history.

Seems a bit incredible that 7 stage wins would be enough, but if true a stage win for the record books.

 

[Tonton]

The slow motion replay was super scary, I can't understand how he did not fall by touching the wheel just in front of him ... Multiple times !! He was so close.
Being able to do that when going 100% effort is really incredible. Such a different sport that GC riders, but really impressive nonetheless.

Very happy for Demarre, he proved many people wrong.

In the no-Kittel, old Cav' era (although his stage win was, to me, in his top-5 wins), Arnaud needs to win big and often against the likes of Ewan, Gaviria, Bennett and a few, which hasn't happened thus far. And be the Man.

Two wins in a row is great and that last one should give Nono a lot of confidence. That was masterful. The Gaviria/Ewan duo was Canelo. Demare beat them like a Champ.

 

[Mayomaniac]

In the no-Kittel, old Cav' era (although his stage win was, to me, in his top-5 wins), Arnaud needs to win big and often against the likes of Ewan, Gaviria, Bennett and a few, which hasn't happened thus far. And be the Man.

Two wins in a row is great and that last one should give Nono a lot of confidence. That was masterful. The Gaviria/Ewan duo was Canelo. Demare beat them like a Champ.

So you mean he boxed the freckles off their face?

 

[jmdirt]

1, 2, 3! Congrats AD!

 

[Tonton]

Bravo Nono! He's on a roll!

He's making himself a great Giro. Any more win(s) would be cream and cherries on the cake.

Allez Nono!

 

[SHAD0W93]

On one hand I am sad that Cav is the one not getting the win, on the other Demare is still showing he can be a top sprinter when in form. I thought he could get 1 stage and he has the possibility of 4 and points. Then at the end of this have as many GT stages as Ewan, which I think most would think wouldn’t have happened. Then even going further back on saying FDJ made a mistake sticking with Demare vs Bouhanni.

 

[RedheadDane]

On one hand I am sad that Cav is the one not getting the wind, on the other Demare is still showing he can be a top sprinter when in form.

I think Cav is quite happy to not be getting the wind, apart from on the last few metres.

 

[SHAD0W93]

I think Cav is quite happy to not be getting the wind, apart from on the last few metres.

Dang phone autocorrect.

 

[SHAD0W93]

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[IndianCyclist]

Makes no sense to leave him behind considering that he would be their best option for sprints and winning a stage.

 

[Rackham]

I'm reading an interview in which he's absolutely furious & gutted with his team.

His non-selection for the Tour hasn't been handled well, at all.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

I don‘t understand why he wasn‘t selected. Démare seemed to hit decent form recently and Gaudu is not really someone who needs a whole team unless he‘s delusional, but maybe Big Bad David bullied Madiot into not selecting Démare.

 

[Samamba]

I don‘t understand why he wasn‘t selected. Démare seemed to hit decent form recently and Gaudu is not really someone who needs a whole team unless he‘s delusional, but maybe Big Bad David bullied Madiot into not selecting Démare.

Cause he's leaving. And then out of nowhere certain team managers don't care about riders that have given the team a lot in the past.

 

[Tim Cahill]

His non-selection suggests FDJ think they're going to rock up to the race and really put pressure on Pogacar and Vingegaard with their big mountain train.

Unless you're top 5 in the world you really don't warrant more than 2 or 3 guys to help

 

[Rob5091]

I suppose the rumors of going to Arkea did not help, but I've a feeling that this soap opera is not over yet.

 

[yaco]

Is Demare leaving because he was not offered a contract by FDJ? I posted that at the start of the year, I thought Demare would be at another team in 2024 with the influx of talent that has come into the FDJ team.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Cause he's leaving. And then out of nowhere certain team managers don't care about riders that have given the team a lot in the past.

Seems like a really petty thing to do. It's not like they have that many climbing domestiques that they could even bring (if we ignore their first year neopros).

 

[Rob5091]

Démare's contract with FDJ was up this year, and he's 32 in August, so FDJ have gone for one last Pinot tour and milk it for all it's worth. What Gaudu thinks of it all, I've no idea!

 

[HelloDolly]

The French public want Pinot and Pinot they are going to get

 

[Mayomaniac]

There should be enough space on the team for him. If anything I'd leave Küng at home to let him prepare for the WC ITT. Guy has raced the cobbled classics, half the Giro and now the TdS, plus the Tour ITT doesn't suit him at all.
Gaudu, Pinot, Madouas, Geniets, Storer and Demare + 2 guys for a small sprint train should work. Pinot can go stagehunting on a few stages and support Gaudu on the other ones.

 

[Gratemans]

There should be enough space on the team for him. If anything I'd leave Küng at home to let him prepare for the WC ITT. Guy has raced the cobbled classics, half the Giro and now the TdS, plus the Tour ITT doesn't suit him at all.
Gaudu, Pinot, Madouas, Geniets, Storer and Demare + 2 guys for a small sprint train should work. Pinot can go stagehunting on a few stages and support Gaudu on the other ones.

Demare actually agreed to only having one guy with him for the sprints...
This really is a *** move from Madiot.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Demare actually agreed to only having one guy with him for the sprints...
This really is a *** move from Madiot.

Ok, then it's really stupid and a *** move by Madiot.

 

[Rackham]

I would have left Gaudu at home & then sent him to the Vuelta. If he can't podium another GT, he can't exactly demand full team support in the Tour.

And Gaudu is the issue here, not Pinot. There's no reason why all 3 riders (Gaudu, Pinot & Démare) can't coexist on the same team, i.e. the issue is Gaudu has been presented as a potential French Tour winner for years & some of his behavior over the past year (including his public outburst against Démare) certainly makes it appear like pressure might be getting to him.

Who knows, maybe Gaudu will do well in the TdF & disprove this post but IMO there's some very typically concerns signs that Gaudu is going to have some problems next month.

He seems to react badly when things don't go his way, like for example his immediate response after his bad result in the Dauphiné was to handwave any concern about his form & then have a go at "online haters" who abuse him. None of that was constructive, no matter how true (sadly, all the top riders get abused on social media).

 

[KZD]

If Gaudu fails in the Tour, Madiot is going to look like an idiot for leaving Démare home. Its also unfair for him given the 8 sprint chances in this route.

 

[AlfaLum]

Sending Gaudu to the Vuelta would be the most stupid decision on the long term for FDJ.

Gaudu is the captain of the three that is at least capable of getting results in the next few years when Pinot has retired and an already declining Demare will have left the team. It is very important to retain a captain like Gaudu to be able to let Gregoire and Martinez develop without a crazy amount of immediate expectations. France is similar to Belgium in that aspect from my point of view.

Also putting in faith with a 26-year old Gaudu who has had some good performances is quite logical compared to Demare, who is also not a A-class rider anymore when it comes to sprinting. I am of the opinion that Demare hardly has a chance of success in these Tour sprints either, with Philipsen three levels above him and Jakobsen, Ewan and Groenewegen at least one-two levels. Then there is also a bunch of sprinters that I would consider at least similar.

Gaudu along with the young prospects are the future of this team. So for me it makes sense that Madiot has put his eggs in that basket.