Tour de France: "I'm freaking out like crazy" ... when the Démare couple talk about the fear of sprinting

These are the risks of the trade.

Victim of a fall in the final packaging of the third stage, Arnaud Démare was unable to defend his chances in the sprint towards Pontivy.

If nothing broke, the Groupama-FDJ rider scared his wife, Morgane, who admits to living with a lump in her stomach when her husband when it comes time for the sprint.

How did you react to Arnaud's fall on Monday?

MORGANE STARTS.

I was very scared when Arnaud fell.

I was very close to the line, with Arnaud's parents.

Right where Ewan fell.

It was traumatic.

This sport has become very dangerous.

Arnaud, barely crossed the line, turned around to reassure me.

He is fine.

But it could have been him instead of Ewan in the ambulance.

Is it difficult to be a sprinter's wife?

MD

An Arnaud sprint is a lot of stress but it starts even before the sprint.

Already when there is a breakaway, the adrenaline rises to know if the peloton will return.

The first time I saw him fall, it happened but it was in China.

It wasn't live and when I think about it it was better.

ARNAUD STARTS.

There are still two styles of fear in Morgane.

When she's there or in front of her TV.

MD

The worst is in front of my TV.

I'm freaking out like crazy.

We see all the details, we hear all the comments.

Before the stress of the fall, there is that of the placement.

I watch all the steps and I scream like crazy in front of my couch, shouting the names of his teammates.

The adrenaline and the heart are rocking.

It is also to forget the fear.

To read also "We are going to have deaths", emotion in the peloton after an end of the third stage marked by falls

Were you scared seeing the images of Fabio Jakobsen's sprint in August 2020 at the Tour of Poland which could have cost him his life?

MD

It's horrible and obviously I said to myself: “It could happen to Arnaud”.

But I quickly chased that thought away.

It's too horrible.

AD

She was more scared than me when she saw these images and that's normal.

Me, if I start to be afraid in a sprint, I'm dead.

I remember the Tour de Valence at the start of the season in the rain at 70 km / h.

Everyone wondered why I was going anyway.

It was slipping.

It was hot to see me there.

I was a daredevil when maybe I shouldn't have competed in this sprint.

Reviewing the images, I found it impressive.

MD

Yes you shouldn't have been there.

Somehow, it doesn't make sense to take so many risks at such a speed 2 cm apart!

We trivialize the sprint but we must remember that it is violent and hard.

But Arnaud is not a suicide bomber either.

He will only go through a mouse hole if he feels there is too much risk.

AD

You know that sometimes, if you have to put the brakes on because I am in danger, my relatives know perfectly well that I will give the brakes.

The goal is never to fall.

I always say: "A guy on the floor has no chance to raise his arms."

Arnaud, have you ever felt fear?

AD

Yes. The last time was this year during the first stage of the Tour de Provence. The final was chaotic, there were lots of management islands. At one point I thought, “It's not worth it”. But I did myself violence. Ten times I have thought of getting up without doing so. Because persevering is also my job. I have the right to think about fear but not to give in to it.