“Still second, it's the seventh time in two months. I am inevitably disappointed " - Arnaud Demare on his performance in Paris-Bourges

Once again, Arnaud Démare had to settle for second place. The Groupama–FDJ rider narrowly lost the victory to Jasper Philipsen in Paris - Bourges.

“Still second, it's the seventh time in two months,” said Demare. He continues, “I thought I no longer had the subscription… I am inevitably disappointed. The guys did a very good job but I still come across a very strong Philipsen. We wanted to toughen up to maneuver a little more easily with the collective we had, and I was super well placed. I am satisfied with the work of the team.”

But he knows regret won’t change the result instead he looks forward to improving the result in his next race. Even sports director Frédéric Guesdon is annoyed by the second position. “Physically, it was still going well, and I'm reassured for this weekend's race which will be really difficult," he added. “I think he was beaten a little stronger today, but it's always annoying to be second because we're racing to win. We saw a big collective again today, with seven riders at the top. We almost say to ourselves that it's a shame to reach the end of the season. The positive is that we have a strong group, and that's important in view of Paris-Tours,” concluded Guesdon.