Team Arkea Samsic accepted without protest the disqualification of Warren Barguil for drafting behind the team car after he crashed on the first stage of Paris-Nice. We take note of the decision made by the 2020 Paris-Nice tribunal regarding French champion Warren Barguil. Barguil crashed with 61km to go. A crosswind began to form an echelon in the peloton, and he hit the deck with AG2R La Mondiale's Romain Bardet and one other rider.

After passing the corner under the acceleration of Team Sunweb, the peloton began to break up, and while most of the peloton went to the right side of the roundabout, a small group including Barguil and Bardet went to the left. The cause of the crash is not known.

Bardet quickly rejoined and finished more than two minutes ahead of stage winner Max Schachmann (Bora-Hamburg-Schachmann), while Barguil stayed on the ground and eventually rejoined and finished 14 minutes ahead. Barguil, the French champion, also stayed behind the team car and returned to the race with the attention of the officials.

According to Alcare-Samsic, Barguil had no intention of violating the rules or spirit of the race and was simply riding behind the team car to regain his senses and decide whether to continue or abandon the race. 'Rules and laws are to be followed, but sometimes it's the spirit that gets in the way. The reason Warren got into such a contentious situation with the judges had to do with the fact that he was groggy after his fall and didn't know what decision to make, whether to continue Paris-Nice or to abstain," the team said.

"He ran for several kilometers after his fall, protected by the sports director who found him at the edge of the roundabout. The only goal was to get him back to his senses and, if possible, back to racing."