“It’s hard to plan for the future... I’m keeping myself open” – Arnaud Démare puts family first as iconic career comes ends at Paris‑Tours

Under the soft October sun in Tours, with little fanfare but clear emotion, Arnaud Démare quietly drew the curtain on a 14-year professional career that saw him become one of the most successful and consistent French sprinters of the modern era. His final race, Paris‑Tours, was not marked by a trademark sprint win or dramatic farewell victory, but by something more understated — a gentle roll across the finish line, a raised arm, and the presence of family waiting just beyond the barriers.

“It’s hard to plan for the future when you’ve been focused 100% on a career like this,” Démare admitted post-race in quotes collected by DirectVelo. “That will come in the months ahead. I’m keeping myself open to plenty of opportunities. But for now, I’ve made the decision to focus on my family life, and enjoy what comes next.”

It was a fittingly human end to a career defined by tenacity, resilience, and an often under-appreciated elegance in the brutal world of sprinting.

Démare leaves the sport with 97 professional victories, an extraordinary haul by any standard, let alone in an era of globalised depth in the sprinting ranks. His palmarès includes two Tour de France stage wins, eight at the Giro d’Italia, two points classification jerseys at the Giro (2020, 2022), and perhaps most memorably, victory at Milano–Sanremo in 2016 — one of cycling’s five Monuments.

He also claimed the French national road race title three times, and won Paris‑Tours in both 2021 and 2022, making Sunday’s race a symbolic bookend to his years at the top.

But numbers alone don’t define Démare’s legacy. What stood out across his career — particularly to those inside the sport — was his professional approach, his loyalty, and the capacity to reinvent himself through tough seasons. “I learned the word ‘sacrifice’ thanks to my teammates,” he said. “They were 100% devoted, and I owe so many of my victories to them. I also learned what ‘pain’ really means, what it represents. And I learned perseverance — real perseverance.”

In truth, Démare had been slowly coming to terms with retirement for some time. He thought inwardly about it during the Tour de France earlier this year, sensing the closing chapters even as he rode down the Champs-Élysées for the final time. “Even at Paris‑Roubaix, I told myself, this is my last Roubaix,” he recalled.

After a mid-season bout of illness following the Grand Prix de Fourmies, the signs were increasingly clear. The legs that had delivered dozens of wins were no longer firing at their best. Still, he insisted on ending things on his terms, at a race that had shaped his success. “Paris‑Tours is a race I love. I’ve performed well here and learned how to win it. It felt right to close things out here.”