Classics specialist Florian Sénéchal will depart Soudal-Quickstep after 5 seasons with the Belgian group, opting to maneuver throughout to Arkéa-Samsic in 2024.
The winner of minor one-day races like Le Samyn, Druivenkoers-Overijse together with podiums within the extra distinguished Gent-Wevelgem and E3 Saxo Traditional, Sénéchal mentioned Soudal-Quickstep’s shifted focus to Grand Excursions after the arrival of Remco Evenepoel was a significant component within the choice to modify groups.
“Soudal-Quickstep wasn’t essentially the group I liked any extra, it was neglecting the Classics a bit,” he mentioned in an interview with L’Equipe. “It was an awesome college that toughened me up, however ultimately, I used to be even more durable than them, the employees and the riders. Perhaps that is what was going mistaken.”
The 30-year-old is certainly one of a dozen riders leaving Soudal-Quickstep this yr as a big a part of the Classics group has been scattered amongst the groups within the peloton – Tim Declercq left for Lidl-Trek, Davide Ballerini for Astana – because the group seeks extra help for Evenepoel’s Tour de France debut subsequent yr.
Sénéchal has excessive ambitions as one of many leaders of Arkéa-Samsic’s Classics group, saying, “I wish to win. [Paris-]Roubaix can be the highest of the highest, it is the one which fits me finest, however I will have already got to claim myself on the Omloop [Het Nieuwsblad]. I will all the time must be within the high 10. If I am not, it’s going to be a failure.”
Towards that finish, he mentioned he pushed supervisor Emmanuel Hubert to make some modifications. “I referred to as him straight to debate what we may enhance on all fronts: race techniques, medical follow-up, diet… which he carried out immediately.”
The change of groups comes with some unknowns – Sénéchal mentioned. “I did not know anybody other than Arnaud [Démare] and Kévin Ledanois a bit. In order that’s lots of people to memorize,” he mentioned.
“I really feel far more comfortable in conversations, whereas I used to be all the time reserved in my outdated group. I believe I even ship too many messages on WhatsApp now,” he joked
