Arnaud Démare eyes debut in his new team at Tour de Leuven: "I can't wait to put a bib on my Arkéa-Samsic jersey"
Cycling
Having joined the Arkéa-Samsic formation since August 1, Arnaud Démare will make his debut in the colors of the French team this Tuesday August 15, during the Tour de Leuven. Having not raced since mid-June and the Tour de Suisse, where he was still part of Groupama-FDJ, Démare will finally be able to repin a bib on his jersey.
"The Tour de Leuven sounds like the resumption for me, it's like a new season starting," said Démare, on the site of his new team. "I'm excited at the idea of racing for the Arkéa-Samsic team, doing my first rounds with my new teammates. It will necessarily be a great novelty. I think this racing profile is very good for the cohesion, it's a demanding race. I approach it with a lot of desire and I can't wait to put a bib on my Arkéa-Samsic jersey!"
Mickaël Leveau, sports director of the Breton training, also spoke. "The Tour de Leuven will mark the competitive debut of Arnaud Démare with the Arkéa-Samsic jersey. The circuit in Leuven is very technical but also physical. It resembles the course of the 2021 World Championships with also a part of cobblestone mountains. It's a semi-classic and we have composed a team of classicmen around Arnaud. When we look at the course and the scenario of last year, it is also possible that the race does not end in a bunch sprint."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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