French sprinter Arnaud Démare has announced that he will retire from professional cycling at the end of the 2025 season. The 33-year-old confirmed the news on social media on Tuesday, saying that Paris–Tours this weekend will mark his final race.
“The time has come,” Démare wrote. “I started cycling when I was six. I’ve been lucky enough to live my dream, to win big races, and to proudly represent French cycling at the highest level. I never imagined achieving all of this.”
In a long message of thanks, Démare reflected on a career built on family passion and consistency. “I was immersed in this passion within my family, and it’s what carried me all these years,” he said. “At the end of this season, after Paris–Tours, I’ll turn the page on my professional career. I’m proud of my journey and deeply grateful to my family, my teams, and my supporters.”
Démare added that he intends to remain active in sport, saying competition would “always be part of him”, but that the next chapter would bring time for new challenges and for his family.
Over a professional career spanning 13 seasons, Démare became one of the most successful French riders of his generation. He has taken 105 UCI victories, including 20 at WorldTour level, and eight stage wins at the Giro d’Italia. His palmarès also includes two Tour de France stage victories and one Monument, Milan–Sanremo in 2016.
His breakthrough came that same year with his win at Milan–Sanremo, where he outsprinted Ben Swift and Jürgen Roelandts in a dramatic finale on the Via Roma. Démare went on to dominate the Giro d’Italia sprints in both 2020 and 2022, collecting multiple stage wins and points classifications, while also remaining a key figure for the French national team in World Championships and major classics.
After turning professional with FDJ in 2012, Démare spent more than a decade with the French team before joining Arkéa–B&B Hotels in 2024. His trademark sprinting style and steady results made him a fixture in the peloton and one of France’s most dependable finishers.
Démare’s final appearance at Paris–Tours will close a career defined by longevity, consistency, and a record that places him among the most successful French sprinters of the modern era.
