Unibet Rose Rockets on the move - ProTeam might sign World Tour classics specialist and former Grand Tour stage winner
Cycling
Unibet Rose Rockets are on the lookout for new riders that can boost their chances in the classics, and to help the team achieve a wildcard towards the Tour de France. One rider, Florian Sénéchal, might be helping the French team towards both objectives.
Unibet have had a relatively quiet transfer season, only with the signing of Axel Mariault confirmed for the 2027 season. The team has lost Clément Venturini; whilst Odd Christian Eiking has tired from the sport. Amongst the three riders that don't officially have a contract for 2027 already are Victor Lafay - who has not raced in the Unibet jersey throughout his entire 2026 contract, Sergio Meris and Kilian Verschuren.
The team had been linked to a potential signing of Primoz Roglic, but it had been clarified that the second-division team lacked the funds to sign such a major figure. Led by Dylan Groenewegen and the likes of Lukas Kubis and Wout Poels, Unibet has had a substantial performance increase in 2026.
A clear objective is to maintain its quality, and potentially receive a wildcard for the 2027 Tour de France - something that appeared likely for this year's edition, but ultimately Caja Rural - Seguros RGA was selected.
The team already carries a French license, although that hasn't appeared to previously be a factor. But the signing of an experienced French rider might contribute towards this effort. According to L'Équipe, the team should sign Florian Sénéchal.
Florian Senechal is likely signing with Unibet Rose Rockets
Florian Sénéchal, a potential gold mine for Unibet
Sénéchal turned professional in 2014 with Cofidis but has had his career marked by the years spent at Quick-Step. From 2018 to 2022, he was part of the most recent gold age of the Belgian team, helping it win several cobbled classics and monuments; whilst taking several meaningful wins himself.
The 33-year old has won races such as Le Samyn, Druivenkoers - Overijse and the Primus Classic; whilst he has also won a sprint stage at the 2021 Vuelta a España. He's a former French national champion; and has come close to winning classics such as the E3 Saxo Classic and In Flanders Fields.
Read also
Over recent years, Sénéchal has raced two years for the Arkéa team which came to an end this past year; and this year Alpecin - Premier Tech. A classics specialist and quality sprinter at his prime, he's carried his experience to become a leadout man as well.
At smaller races, Sénéchal remains able to score important UCI points for a team who seeks them - he was recently Top10 at Paris-Tours - but is also an experienced leadout man for the likes of Fabio Jakobsen and Arnaud Démare. At Unibet, he could have leadership opportunities in the classics-filled calendar, whilst providing Dylan Groenewegen with a trusted supported.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- The conditions there were absolutely heavenly. No wonder that Vanthourenhout was literally sucked into the ground. I think Mason and Wyseure are very similar types of riders. We've seen that when Vanthourenhout has been in a similar position to where Mason was, and Wyseure has had the legs, he's been able to power his way back. But that's not quite possible when Mason is putting out more power in front.
Rafionain-Glas11-11-2026 - What a win! It's been been so long in the waiting but I'm so glad for Cameron that he's finally got that victory. Sad to see Brand crash out like that. It didn't look too bad initially but there was clearly something very wrong. It could be like van Aert's last yearRafionain-Glas11-11-2026
- since you called pidcock pogi's BIG RIVAL in another article a few days ago ... i guess adding ciccone to the mix makes him almost unbeatable, no?Ketterechts11-11-2026
- 🤣🤣🤣what a headlineabstractengineer11-11-2026
- When you have four or five guys who are defined leaders of teams that are winning races or at least placing highly in big races, a lot of guys who are racing will not be seen as assets to those teams. If they can't be part of the program then they are let go. I remember back if you won a single stage of the Tour and maybe had a good classic result you would have a cemented place on a team. That is not the case now in the era we live in because the top guys are so good and their goals are so defined. It's bad in a way for them but good for us as fans.awp11-11-2026
- Lots of people seem fed up of Pogi's phenomenal dominance, but I've been drawn into watching professional cycling again (after the Armstrong doping era, that's when I stopped) because of it. I don't think I'd be as interested if it wasn't for Pogi. People call it boring, it’s the exact opposite for me, I will never ever tire of watching absolute greatness in action. He is the greatest athlete this planet has ever produced. Ad acta!!!PogiSloFans11-11-2026
- dfsdfsdfsdfwajohe447911-11-2026
- I have no sympathy for Ayuso or the situations he gets himself into. He was a traitor in the UAE team, he hated Pogi and never wanted to work for him. He always had excuses why he couldn't perform. No riders in the team liked his character and did not approve the kind of person he was on a deep, moral, or personal level. I just don't care about him. Ad acta.PogiSloFans11-11-2026
- Great response! I love the article also. Interesting to see which "Legends" will be covered. There are a few out there :-)
DareDevil11-11-2026 - This is one of the reasons why Ineos is failing, G can comment on his pod but why has he not attracted talent from the peloton to Ineos. He has lot of inside track. Also ratcliffe handling of Man United is also disastrous.abstractengineer11-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment