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Follow us on GoogleFlorian Sénéchal has signed with the Unibet Rose Rockets. The 33-year-old Frenchman is transferring from Alpecin-Premier Tech and has signed a one-year contract, the Franco-Dutch team announced. The former French champion will bolster the Rockets’ classics lineup and bring much-needed experience to the team.
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Rockets grow their Classics squad for 2027
L'Équipe had previously reported that the Rockets were keen to sign Sénéchal. The transfer has now been announced, accompanied, of course, by a humorous video on social media.
For Bas Tietema’s team, this is only the second signing of the year, following Axel Mariault’s earlier move from CIC Pro Cycling Academy. With these two transfers, the number of French riders on the team has grown to five, although Clément Venturini, Victor Lafay, and Killian Verschueren have already left.
With Sénéchal, the Rockets are bringing in a highly experienced rider, especially for the classics. He competed in no fewer than 26 Monuments during his career, including 11 Paris-Roubaix races and 10 Tour of Flanders races.
He enjoyed his heyday with Deceuninck-Quick Step, where he finished sixth at Roubaix in 2019. He also placed second at Gent-Wevelgem.
Sénéchal signs a 1-Year contract with the Rockets
But the Frenchman will also be an asset in the Grand Tours and the sprint train. He has competed in the Tour de France three times, the Vuelta a España twice, and the Giro d'Italia twice.
He usually rode in support of top sprinters, but he had his best season in 2021, when he helped Fabio Jakobsen secure three stage wins. As the icing on the cake, he himself pulled off a surprise victory in the thirteenth stage.
With Sénéchal, Unibet Rose Rockets now has 27 riders signed for 2027. Bas Tietema had previously mentioned looking for opportunities, and the former French champion appears to be one of them.
Team manager Tietema was also in contact with Primoz Roglic. But thanks to the Outlook glitches, that seems to be shaping up to be a difficult situation...
David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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