Arnaud Gérard: “aiming for a stage victory”
The ARKEA-B&B HOTELS team will rely on its sprinter Arnaud Démare, and its climbers Ewen Costiou – Clément Champoussin to shine on the roads of the “Course au Soleil”.
“Paris-Nice is a race that is close to my heart and which has often been successful for me. I wore the yellow leader’s jersey twice in this event, including once for three days. I also won three stages. It’s a competition that I enjoy, sometimes with borders. This is the first big meeting of the cycling year. The level is always high in this event. I want to go to Paris-Nice. I’m going to give it my all. We have a team that is focused on sprinting, mixed with climbers. The goal will be to try to get a victory. The competition will be tough but we will do everything, all together, to achieve our common goal.”
“Paris-Nice is a legendary race. It’s a competition that appeals even to people who don’t follow cycling assiduously. The general public knows his notoriety. For my part, I am happy to participate in the “race to the sun”. This event is famous, and when I was younger, it already made me want it. I know this competition will be very tough. I don’t put pressure on myself. The weekend will suit me more than the first days of racing. We have a great ARKEA-B&B HOTELS team engaged in this first UCI WorldTour stage race, including Arnaud Demare. His presence, inevitably, motivates and unites the whole group. For my part, I will discover, continue to learn, we will see what I can do at the end of the week if opportunities present themselves to me, even if I know that the competition will be strong during this week of racing.”
“This 2024 edition of Paris-Nice will be broken down into two parts for the ARKEA-B&B HOTELS team, with stages one and two, and possibly the fifth which can end with a massive sprint. Our trump card will obviously be Arnaud Demare who has already won stages in this race. His train had to be remodeled. He will nevertheless benefit from good support with the presence at his side of Donavan Grondin, and especially his pilot fish Miles Scotson, who knows him to perfection. The goal is to try to get a stage, either with Arnaud, or with our two runners who have the qualities of climber-punchers, Ewen Costiou and Clément Champoussin. This Paris-Nice will be a crossing point in Ewen’s career. This is the first major cycling event of the year; the weather conditions can also make the race extremely difficult, on the first two days, for example. But also because of the profile offered. Ewen comes with his freshness to this Paris-Nice, his great desire, but without pressure. Anything he can give to the ARKEA-B&B HOTELS team will be a plus.”