The 24-year-old Frenchman will bolster the team's depth in the northern classics.
A rider born to take on the treacherous but at the same time fascinating cobbles which every spring lure the riders just as the enchanting sirens used to do with Ulysses and his sailors as they returned home from the decade-long Trojan War, Florian Sénéchal has agreed on a two-year contract with Quick-Step Floors, which will see him make the step to the World Tour in 2018.
The last French winner of the Junior Paris-Roubaix (2011), Florian rode as a stagiaire for the outfit managed by Patrick Lefevere one year later, before going to the development team for the 2013 season, during which he showed his quality in a various range of races, from the Tour du Finistère and the U23 Paris-Tours to Paris-Arras Tour and Okolo Jiznich Cech, which he won.
Now, after four years spent in his home country, the last of which saw him finish his beloved Paris-Roubaix in 12th place, he will ride for the World Tour leader, a decision which he says was very easy to take: "It's difficult for me to express how excited I am to join Quick-Step Floors. This is one of the best teams in the world, with such a tremendous winning history. I've been a big fan of this squad since I can remember, and the way they race has always been a big inspiration and motivation for me as a rider. I want to thank Cofidis for my time there, for all the beautiful experiences and the many good friends I've made there, as I now look forward to racing with Quick-Step Floors and starting a new chapter in my career."
"My goal is to be there in all the races and give my very best, but I have a special love for the Classics and it would be a big dream to win one of these iconic races with this fantastic team. Quick-Step Floors have fostered so many champions in the past 15 years and I'm sure they can also help me boost my abilities as a rider", concluded the 24-year-old Florian, who hails from a small village just a few kilometers away from Troisvilles, the first cobblestone sector of Paris-Roubaix.
Patrick Lefevere – Quick-Step Floors' CEO – is confident that Florian Sénéchal can add another element to the team's ambitions for the northern classics, races which have been the outfit's bread and butter ever since its inception: "Florian is a strong and talented rider, whose addition to our squad I am sure will bear fruit, as he brings considerable experience, despite his young age. He is willing to learn and improve, and at the same time, is motivated and driven by passion for this sport, all important attributes to succeed as a rider at the highest level."
Photo credit: ©BrakeThrough Media
