Arnaud Démare came with six riders focused on his support, and on getting Groupama - FDJ to conquer sprint stages, and at today's bunch sprint - his first real opportunity - success was close, but Démare could only finish second place.
After the stage, the Frenchman explained how the finale unrolled in his point of view: “It was very fast, and we expected it because everyone was very fresh. Our positioning was good, but it was hard to stay together," he said. "I lost the guys with just a kilometre to go but managed to get back into Jacopo’s [Guarnieri] wheel at 600m. I saw the train with Cavendish pass, and I fought to get into this wheel. I was really happy to be there.”
With positioning succeeding, Démare was in a good position to fight for the stage win. He matched Mark Cavendish's sprint, but couldn't get through in the final meters. “He went hard from far, and held on for long. It was impressive. There wasn’t much to do.
"I immediately started my sprint next to him, but looking back, I think I should have stayed a bit in his wheel and waited until the last moment to try to overtake," he added. As for the possible tilt at the points classification, Démare climbed to fourth place, 18 behind Mathieu van der Poel who will depart to the fourth stage in the lead - as Biniam Girmay will wear it on the day.
“I’m still disappointed as I’m here to win but there are plenty of other opportunities coming up. It still is a decent start for the team. Physically, I’m fine, I don’t miss much. The guys did a good job, we still have to adjust the timing and stay together. We took second, it could have been worse, it could have been better too, but at least it really launches our Giro," he concluded.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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2e place pour Arnaud Démare au terme du sprint final à Balatonfüred. Il est seulement battu par Mark Cavendish.
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