One of the greatest French sprinters in cycling history, Arnaud Démare, is saying farewell to professional racing. The 34-year-old Arkéa-B&B Hotels rider will wear a race number one last time on Sunday, but will retire from the sport after Paris-Tours.
The moment has come. At the end of this season, after Paris-Tours, I am closing the chapter on my professional career," Démare announced on social media. "What an incredible journey it has been! I started cycling at the age of six and, along with my family, I was completely captivated by racing. I never expected that this childhood dream would take me this far."
"I have been fortunate to realize my dream, to win big races, and to proudly represent French cycling at the highest level. I never thought I would achieve all of this. I am proud of my journey and deeply grateful to my family, teams, teammates, and all the supporters who have backed me."
L’heure est venue. 🎯
À la fin de cette saison, après Paris-Tours, je tournerai la page de ma carrière professionnelle. 🏁
Mais quelle aventure incroyable… pic.twitter.com/FTipP5oRsa
— Arnaud Demare (@ArnaudDemare) October 9, 2025
However, Démare feels it is time to take a new direction. "I will always crave competition and I will definitely keep exercising, but now for my own enjoyment and to share my curiosity and passion. I am ready to discover new things."
Démare won Milan-San Remo in 2016 - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
Extremely successful career
Arnaud Démare can look back on a hugely successful cycling career. After his professional debut in 2012 with FDJ, he grew into one of the fastest sprinters of his generation. His palmarès boasts no less than 97 victories. His greatest triumph was probably in 2016, when he took the win in the 107th edition of Milan-San Remo.
The speedy rider was also successful in the biggest cycling race on earth, the Tour de France. He won a stage in both the 2017 and 2018 editions. Additionally, he won eight stages and the points classification twice in the Giro d'Italia, two times Paris-Tours, twice the Brussels Cycling Classic, the Vattenfall Cyclassics, and stages in races such as Paris-Nice and the Tour of Switzerland.
Arnaud Démare| Year | Team |
|---|---|
| 2025 | |
| 2024 | |
| 2023 | |
| 2023 | |
| 2022 |
