Bianchi has issued a statement rebutting criticism madeಌ by Florian Sénéchal about its ♎bikes, instead stating that the team's mechanics disregarded Bianchi's instructions for assembli💛ng the handlebars.
At the finish of Paris-Roubaix, Sénéchal was quick to complain to the media in the Roubaix Velodrome, saying "We🎶 have a technical problem with our bike" after he was for♒ced into four separate bike swaps during the race.
that there were "carbon noises and it was becoming cardboard."
Still recovering fr🌌ღom a broken collarbone sustained at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in February, the Frenchman admits he "got scared, and stopped to change bikes."
He added that this was just the first of four incidents, before saying "I think that we have a technical problem with our bike and we'll have to look into it. It's annoying to always 🤡have problems."
In its response, Bianchi expressed "surprise and concern" at hearing of the Frenchman's comments, before claiming that Arkea B&B Hotels mechanics hadn't been following ඣtheir assembly instructions.
"Following discussions between Bianchi and the technical staff of the team, it emerged that the specific instructions provided by Bianchi for assembling the handlebars of bikes were disreg๊arded in some cases, causing disparities in the handling of the bicycles in competition."
It's unclear whether the Arkea B&B Hotels staff and mechanics accept this claim. Cyclingnews has reached out to the team for clarity.
This came alongside reassurances that the Bianchi ♏bikes 🦋have passed the necessary ISO 4210-5 test protocols, which it says "certifies their suitability for use in total safety."
Bianchi highlighted the team's success just a week prior when Luca Mozzato rode its Oltre RC to 2nd place at the Tour of Flanders. It also referenced out-of-season testing done by both it and the team using the Bianchi bikeꦓs in preparation for the demands of Paris-Roubaix:
"With specific reference to the demands of racing on cobblestones – and in particular Paris-Roubaix, one of the most demanding r👍aces for bicycles and their components – t𒉰he Arkea B&B Hotels organisation carried out several tests that validated the use of both the Bianchi Specialissima RC and Oltre RC models."
Notably, the disparaging comment༒s appear not to have left a sour taste, as the statement concluded by saying "Bianchi 🔯reiterates its support for Team Arkea B&B Hotels with renewed positivity, looking forward to the upcoming important events of the season with the aim of taking more victories and consolidating the top ten position in the UCI WorldTour rankings."
