In the past, FDJ.fr were often the underdogs when they went up against the best teams in the world but today the team proved how far they had come when they took control of the hectic finale of the second Tirreno-Adriatico stage. Arnaud Demare was delivered perfectly and even though his 2nd place was a slight disappointment, the team took great satsifaction from the work that preceded it.

FDJ.fr has always been known as one of the smaller WorldTour teams but in recent years they have stepped up their game. With a number of exciting French talents, the team has gone from being a clear underdog to now take responsibility in the biggest races.

That was put on show in today's very hectic finale of the first sprint stage of Tirreno-Adriatico. While all the big sprint trains were struggling to take control, it was FDJ.fr that hit the front at the end. David Boucher, Murilo Fischer, Yoann Offredo, Michael Delage, and Arnaud Demare formed the perfect train that ended up delivering Demare perfectly on the front.

In the end, the fast Frenchman was beaten into second by Matteo Pelucchi but the team took great pleasure from their strong showing.

"It's always annoying to be so close to a win," said sports director Frederic Guesdon. "But Arnaud has especially taken notice of the excellent work of his teammates. He says that he had his chance. This is not a disaster. We have confirmation that all works very well when riders like Sagan and Greipel are beaten. Tomorrow is an uphill finish, 10% or 15%, with a turn 250 meters from the line and we will give it a go."

You can read our preview of stage 3 here.