Florian Sénéchal aims for breakthrough year at Classics: "I want to win. Roubaix would be the best of the best"

After spending six seasons with the Belgian team Soudal - Quick-Step, Florian Sénéchal will seek new challenge in Arkéa - B&B Hotels, where he should take on a bigger role for himself, but also be a key part of Arnaud Démare's sprint train, he tells L'Équipe.

"I didn’t know anyone except Arnaud and a little Kévin Ledanois. So that’s a lot to memorize," he laughs. "I feel much more comfortable in exchanges, whereas I was always on the reserve in my old team. I think I even send too many messages on WhatsApp now."

"Soudal Quick-Step was no longer necessarily the team that I liked, it was abandoning the Classics a little. It's a great school that toughened me up, but in the end I even became tougher than them, the staff and the riders. Maybe that’s what was wrong," continues Sénéchal.

So, when the manager of Arkéa, Emmanuel Hubert, offered him a two-year challenge, Sénéchal said yes right away. "I called him directly to discuss what we could improve on all levels: racing tactics, medical monitoring, nutrition…" says Sénéchal. "We pushed directly with Manu for certain points which he put in place straight away," he explains. "I want to win. Roubaix would be the best of the best, it's the one that suits me the most, but we will already have to assert ourselves on the Omloop. I will always want to be in the top 10. If that is not the case, it will be a failure."