Arnaud Demare had a sour face when he crossed the line in 13th after not having had the chance to sprint in stage 1 of Paris-Nice. Despite not saying any words, his eyes sjwoed his frustration after Alexander Kristoff had taken the win.

This stage, animated by the Anthony Deleplace (Bretagne-Seche) and Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) did not turn into dream scenario for the French champion who prefers to sprint after a hard race. This time, it was easy until 15 kilometers from the finish line where the peloton decided to close the gap of 1'40 " to the break.

"Everyone was fresh at the finish," FDJ sports director Franck Pineau said. "And everyone was fighting for his place. Our riders remained grouped but when they moved to the front of the pack, they had to pass through gaps and everyone was able to keep his place. In this process, Arnaud has lost the wheel of his teammates and he was too far backer under the red kite.

"There is a lot of frustration but not despair. Instead, the guys are working well together and I can assure you that we will do the sprint on Tuesday. Anyway, the finish in Saint-Amand-Montrond with slightly false flat finale should suit him better."