Geraint Thomas, meanwhile, is preparing to cement his hold on the yellow jersey in Friday’s final mountain test of the Tour de France.
After many of his competitors were unable to get through the mountains, Demare took advantage by dominating a mass sprint in Stage 18.
Sprinters Fernando Gaviria of Colombia and Dylan Groenewegen — who had each won two stages in this Tour — called it quits during Stage 12 to Alpe d’Huez. That came a day after Mark Cavendish and Marcel Kittel, who have a combined 44 Tour stage wins between them, failed to make the time cut on another mountain leg.