FDJ sprinter and 2016 San Remo champion has three wins so far this season
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Arnaud Demare (FDJ) on the stage 1 podium at Paris-Nice(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Arnaud Demare wins stage 1 at Paris-Nice ahead of Julian Alaphilippe(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Arnaud Demare (FDJ) in yellow on the stage 1 podium at Paris-Nice(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Arnaud Demare (FDJ) on the stage 1 podium at Paris-Nice(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Arnuad Demare wins the opening stage of 2017 Paris-Nice(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Stage 1 of Paris-Nice was supposed to be a run-of-the-mill sprint stage with a two-loop circuit culminating in a match up between some of the best sprinters on the planet.
What ensued was far better, with 3 hours, 22 minutes and 43 seconds of bike racing at it's best, and Arnaud Demare coming away with a worthy stage win and the first leader's yellow jersey in this year's race.
"The conditions were tough and we were flat out with the echelons. I expected attacks from Julian Alaphilippe, Philippe Gilbert and Tony Gallopin, so I tried to follow. The climb at the end wasn't too long and that helped. I think there was general fatigue out there, and I had fantastic support out there with guys around me in the break. It's better than being alone and it helps both physically and psychologically.
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Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.
