Going into the Tour de France, Arnaud Demare wasn't expected to get many chances as his main goal was to support Thibaut Pinot. However, the team leader has had many setbacks - including another crash in today's stage - and so Demare will now get more freedom, starting with a 7th place in today's sprint.

"It was a hard day," Demare told L'Equipe. "I avoided the crashed. That's already a good thing. In the sprint, I believed in it at some point because I was well placed. All alone, I had to make some effort but I feel I can do it. Today I managed to find the feeling. I was happy with that finish in Amiens. I was greatly encouraged. It's cool. It rained and the roads were slippery. I hope it won't continue.

"I knew the finish. I knew there was a small false flat where riders would run out of power. The it is very fast in the end. We did not have time to hesitate. I do not have any regrets about my sprint. I maybe started a little too early, I could have stayed in Kristoff's wheel  but they came fast from behind.

"Yesterday we discussed out bad luck. We were disappointed but we have not given up. Last year it was all beautiful. Everyone was happy with what we did. Thins smiled at us. This year, we have had some setbacks. The first day, the time trial, was beautiful for Thibaut. Then we lost ground but we will bounce back. "
 

"When I crashed, a bike hit my thigh," Pinto said. "At the time, it hurt but once I was riding, I quickly focused on the race and it didn't bother me. It is impressive how tense and nervous the peloton is. Only the Tour has such days. 

"I am determined not to give up. The Tour is not only about GC.. There are so many targets to go for, so many beautiful mountain stages. I remain vigilant because there will be no transition stages. 

"The end of the week will depend a lot on the weather conditions. Tomorrow we will be riding along the coast so there will be wind. But I feel that the whole peloton starts to get tired, so there may be fewer attempts to create echelons. "