This weekend Maxime Bouet wore the Ag2r jersey for the final time in a cyclocross race in Marseille. Next year the Frenchman will join Eixx--Quick Step where he has been signed as a key support rider for Rigoberto Uran in the mountains.

"I will be Rigoberto Uran's teammate," he told La Provence. "I will start at the Tour Down Under in Australia where I will be the leader. The I will do the Trofeo Mallorca, the Boucles du Sud-Ardeche and probably Paris-Nice."

In the past, Bouet has usually done the Tour de France until he shifted his focus to the Giro and Vuelta in 2014. He still doesn't know whether he will return to his home race in 2015.

"My participation in the Tour depends on Rigoberto Uran," he explained. "Either we will both do the Giro d'Italia or we will both do the Tour de France. Hopefully, I'll be there. Frankly, I would prefer to do the Tour de France." 

Meanwhile, the rider who turns 28 years on Monday, is settling into his new environment.

"When I was a kid I was a fan of Tom Boonen. It was already a childhood dream to turn professional, but I never thought that I would find myself in a team like Quick Step where the best riders in all disciplines are gathered. Julian Alaphilippe and I are the only Frenchmen. It motivates me to ride for a team that wins 70 races a year. I think I am third in the hiererachy behind world champion Michal Kwiatkowski and Rigoberto Uran for stage races."