Arkea Samsic (open in new tab) announced Wednesday that it has signed French sprinter Nasser Bouhanni to lead its 2020 sprint team. Bouhanni replaces German Andre Greipel, who is out of contract (open in new tab) after a disappointing season.

Bouhanni leaves Cofidis after five seasons. The 29-year-old has struggled with consistency and was left out of the team's Tour de France squad in 2018 and 2019; he suffered a major crash in the 2017 Tour de Yorkshire (open in new tab) that left him with concussion and optic nerve damage that hampered his performance.

Emmanuel Hubert, general manager of Arkea Samsic, hopes the team can instill more confidence in Bouhanni and draw on the talent of the three-time stage winner of the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España.

"In 2020, we want to be like a WorldTour team. We know that 70% of the races end in sprints, so we needed to strengthen our team in that department," Hubert said in a team press release.

"For the sprinters, every detail is important and I rely on Sebastien Hinault's coordination. Nasser Bouhani will be our number one sprinter. He has great qualities. He has had a difficult two years and he needs to regain his confidence and bond with the sprinters."

The team also welcomes Dan McCray from EF Education First. He previously raced for the organization when it was known as Fortuneo Vital Concepts in 2016 and Fortuneo Oscaro in 2017. McRae is the last lead-out man for Bouhanni. Also joining the team are Thomas Boudat of Direct Énergie, Christophe Noppe and Benjamin Declercq of Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise, and Łukasz Owsian of CCC Team.

"I think there is a potential chemistry between them," Hubert says of Buhani and McRae.

"We aim to be competitive on several fronts. Thomas Buda has the freedom to express himself. We have a full team with sprint potential. The athletes are ready to work a lot this winter to get everything in place and be efficient on race day."

Bouhanni calls the deal "a new beginning."

"I am very happy to be racing for Arkea Samsic in the coming season. It's a new beginning for me. I'm starting the season as if I've never won a race before. I'm not asking to come with a particular crew or a particular rider, I just want to focus on myself.

"I've had some big crashes and disappointments in my career, but cycling is my life. It's my passion. Riding has brought me so much. When I was younger and doing well, I would put my head in the sand and say, 'Bouhanni got results this year, but next season we won't hear from him again. That's how I grew up. My job is to respond to criticism on the bike."

Bukhani has battled the "bad boy" image throughout his career: he was penalized for punching a Quick Step rider at the 2017 Tour de France (open in new tab) and injured in an argument with a hotel guest at the 2016 French championships (open in new tab).

He has "character" and admits to having made some mistakes in his career, but says he is not a bad guy. 'At first glance, I am reserved, even shy. Emmanuel and I immediately had a feeling. That was a big part of my decision."

Bouhanni's first goal is to return to winning, and he dreams of filling the missing gap in his record: a stage in the Tour de France and a result in Milan-San Remo. He said, "This is the first year since I turned pro that I didn't win. This is the first year since I turned pro that I didn't win.

The Frenchman is far from the first high-profile signing the team has made this offseason, with Giro and Vuelta winner Nairo Quintana (open in new tab) joining from Movistar with his brother Dyer from Neri-Sottori-Selle Italia. Diego Rosa joins from Team Ineos, and Winner Anacona also moves from Movistar. Finally, French champion Warren Barguil has extended his contract with the team for three more seasons.