Sebastien Turgot became a household name in cycling when he finished 2nd in the 2012 Paris-Roubaix but despite that big result, the Frenchman feels it is time for a change. Having felt a lack of trust from Europcar, he is motivated by the challenge of leading Ag2r-La Mondiale in the classics in 2014.

After 6 years with Jean-Rene Bernaudeau's Europcar team, things will change for Sebastien Turgot in 2014. The 29-year-old Frenchman has signed a three-year contract with Ag2r-La Mondiale who has greatly strengthened its roster for the cobbled classics for the coming season.

For many years, Turgot was known as an aggressive rider with a fast sprint who mixed it up in the bunch kicks in the Tour de France and took a fine win on a very miserable day in the 2010 Three Days of De Panne. However, the extent of his talent was only revealed when he took a surprise 2nd in the 2012 Paris-Roubaix behind a dominant Tom Boonen.

Turgot failed to live up to those heights in 2013 but his season confirmed that he is a highly talented rider for the classics. He was 15th in the Milan-Sanremo, 12th in the Dwars door Vlaanderen, 10th in the E3 Prijs Harelbeke and 8th in the Tour of Flanders before returning to his happy hunting ground in Roubaix to post another top 10 result.

Europcar offered him the chance to lead the team in the classics and gave him the opportunity to turn professional 6 years ago. However, Turgot felt that his progress had stalled and that it was time for a change.

"Many things have motivated me to change teams," he told Velo101. "While Europcar had applied to return to the WorldTour, I wanted to ride for a team that was guaranteed to be there next year. I am 29 years old and I have no time to lose.

"I didn't feel any progress at Europcar and they didn't trust me," he added. "Before I know it, my career is over so I decided to change teams. I already feel the benefits. At the training camp in Montgenevre in November, I felt revived. It is a big motivation for next year.

"I no longer felt any progress - mostly because we were not in the WorldTour although our absence was only due to the budget. But I also had the feeling that they slowed me down. I was not selected for the Tour de France after my first two appearances in 2010 and 2011. Ditto for Damien Gaudin. I really feel more comfortable in this team. I had to change."

Ag2r-La Mondiale has never shined much in the classics but have taken steps to be a more visible presence in the cobbled races. Last year they signed Steve Chainel and this year he will be joined by Turgot and Damien Gaudin who was 5th in the Paris-Roubaix.

Turgot has already been promised a leadership role in the classics and is happy to play a support role in most other races.

"I will be supported in the classics," he said. "I'll be a leader but otherwise I want to be a luxury teammate. This will be my role in the Paris-Nice with Jean-Christophe Peraud. And hopefully I will return to a grand tour. The Vuelta is guaranteed, but not the Tour. We will see how it goes at the Paris-Nice. To be a leader in the classics and a teammate in the other races is fine. Things are clear and I like that."

Turgot is eager to get his season going and will start racing right from the beginning.

"I'll start my season early in the Tour Down Under because I had a short season in 2013, he said. "I had a good start at the Paris-Roubaix but then I didn't do anything at all. Now I must get back to my best level. That's why I will start to race early as it will allow be to progress."

Turgot hasn't won a race since his stage win in the 2010 Three Days of De Panne.