Bianchi has issued a statement rebutting criticism made by Florian Sénéchal about its bikes, instead stating that the team's mechanics disregarded Bianchi's instructions for assembling 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 forced into four separate bike swaps during the race.
According to the Frenchman, the first came at around 150km to go and was a result of either his fork or stem "starting to give out." He told CyclismActu that there were "carbon noises and it was becoming cardboard."
Still recovering from 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 their 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 disregarded 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 bikes 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 races for bicycles and their components – the 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 comments 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."
