Florian Seneschal's 2024 season was his first with a French team since racing for Cofidis in 2017, but his year did not go as planned after his move from Sourdal-Quick Step, the Classics specialist injured, mental anguish, He said it was a season plagued by burnout.

Speaking to the Breton newspaper Le Télégramme, the 31-year-old said he lost confidence after injuring his collarbone in the spring and hit “rock bottom” with personal issues other than his bike.

A key member of Quick Step's Classical team, Sénéchal signed on to not only work as a leadout for sprinter Arnaud Demaret, but also to increase Arcare B&B Hotels' fortunes in the discipline, but his season was quickly derailed by a crash at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. [He] broke his collarbone, and three weeks later, he raced again and crashed again on the same collarbone,” Senechal told Le Télégramme. [That was the beginning of my ordeal. Since then I completely lost my confidence. I no longer knew how to race or ride a bike.”

The death of his grandfather also affected him greatly, and he said it was his toughest period as a professional racer, with a combination of problems, including bouts of insomnia.

“I never experienced anything like this in my professional career,” he said. I had never been this depressed. I was at rock bottom. Without the help of loved ones and the team, I would have sunk.”

“Mentally, I was at the end of my rope. I had hit rock bottom and there was no more water in the pool.

Senecal, the 2021 Vuelta a España stage winner, said he even considered leaving cycling for good at one point.

“I told myself that I was putting an end to my career, that it was over, that my body was telling me 'stop. I was on the verge of burnout and sensitive to everything. I wanted to throw it all away. I was lost.”

Despite the hardships of the season, Seneschal said he continued to train “without losing motivation” and finished the year with numerous one-day outs in September and October.

His top result in 2024 was only a top 10 at the Antwerp Port Classic in May, but Senechal said he was able to “finish the year on a good leg. Now we are focused on 2025.

“I'm going to be out for revenge,” he said. We have no choice.” The counter has been reset to zero.