Arnaud Demare hopes to play part in "big fight between the sprinters for the Yellow Jersey" on 2025 Tour de France opener

In recent years, there have been many chances for those not hunting the general classification to get themselves a day or two in the iconic Yellow Jersey at the Tour de France. In 2025 though, such a chance seems to be on the cards and one of those with big ambitions is Arkéa - B&B Hotels' sprinter Arnaud Demare.

The 2025 Tour de France starts off with a flat stage in the Hauts-de-France region, in the far northwest of the country. It will be an unusually 'easy' first week to the race which should not feature any mountain stage but instead a set of flat and hilly stages that will suit the sprinters and provide more opportunities for the classics specialists to thrive - something which has not been on the map much over the past few years, as Grand Tours lean more and more into the climber-oriented stages early in the race.

Speaking at the presentation of the 2025 Tour de France route last week, Demare could barely contain his excitement at the rare chance given to don the most iconic jersey in all of cycling. Something all the more important to the proud Frenchman and three time French national champion Demare.

"We will probably have a big fight between the sprinters for the yellow jersey. It's not often that I've been in that situation. The last time was in 2018, so it has been a long time,” Demare told the route presentation in Paris. “I think we can get seven sprints. That's good. It's a bit like this year, when there were many sprint stages in the first part of the race, but there are also some slightly tougher days where the outcome is more uncertain."

Although he has 97 victories on his palmares, including 8 stages of the Giro d'Italia, a victory at the Tour de France has so far remained elusive for Demare in career. Could that victory finally come in 2025 and with a Maillot Jaune to boot?