For a sprinter there's arguably no worse place to finish than second on a stage, and after missing out in the Giro d'Italia's stage 2 in the Netherlands, France's Arnaud Demare (FDJ) was understandably frustrated by taking the runner’s up spot again four days later in Benevento on stage 5.
The biggest success of Demare's career to date was Milano-Sanremo this spring, but after triumphing in Italy's biggest one day Classic in March, in Italy's biggest stage race in May, so far it's been a very different story.
On both occasions, the FDJ sprinter has been clearly defeated by a German sprinter, with Marcel Kittel (Etixx-QuickStep) beating Demare by a wide margin in Nijgemen on stage two. Eighth at Arnhem on stage three, when the Giro reached Italy and in a very different, uphill sprint in Benevento, Andre Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) proved the fastest by a sizeable gap again.
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"It was well-deserved for Greipel, but I'm disappointed to be second again," Demare told reporters as he wheeled to a halt after the finish line. "It's a pity, my legs feel good, but I've not come here to finish second, I've come here to win and today was a good opportunity."
Demare said the combination of waiting a little too long to launch his own sprint and Greipel's superbly sustained early acceleration had proved lethal for his chances. "He took us by surprise when he went so soon and he didn't crack, that shows he's really strong," Demare said. "On that kind of false flat, I would have waited for longer, but he went for it.
"It had been a really chaotic finale, and there was a big hesitation when a Lampre rider got caught near the finish. I was waiting 50 metres too long to go for it, I waited a bit more and that was it."
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