Italian sprinter Luca Mozzato will swap French teams for 2023, moving away from the collapsing B&B Hotels team to join the WorldTour-bound Arkéa-Samsic.
The French team's roster is now full at 30 riders. They are the ninth prospective 2023 WorldTour squad to complete their line-up for the upcoming season, meaning another potential door has closed for Mark Cavendish.
Mozzato is the third rider to move elsewhere from B&B Hotels, which is set to stop altogether after team manager Jérôme Pineau was unable to find sponsorship to bolster the team or keep it going.
24-year-old Mozzato is a promising sprinter who enjoyed the best season of his career in 2022, despite coming away without a win. He racked up six top-five placings through the season, including second at Tro-Bro Léon and fifth at Paris-Tours, and also made his Tour de France debut, finishing in the top ten on four stages.
"Signing with Arkéa-Samsic is a great opportunity for me considering the situation I was in the last few days," Mozzato said when Arkéa-Samsic confirmed his signing.
"I'm also happy to stay in France, to continue wearing the Breton colours within an even stronger team, which will enter the UCI WorldTour in 2023.
"Arkéa-Samsic is a structure that has been anchored in the professional peloton for many years. I feel good in France. I speak the language and I like the races on the national calendar. I feel that I will integrate very quickly.
"Like any rider, I have the objective and the desire to win, and for me this would coincide with unlocking my victory counter in the professionals. Of course, I can also help the team to help the other sprinters to win. I have individual ambitions, but the collective word also counts for me."
Mozzato is the eighth and final signing for Arkéa-Samsic for 2023, joining Clément Champoussin (AG2R Citroën), Cristian Rodríguez (TotalEnergies), Jenthe Biermans (Israel-Premier Tech), David Dekker (Jumbo-Visma), Andrii Ponomar (Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli), and neo-pros Mathis Le Berre and Ewen Costiou on the incoming list.
Nairo Quintana, who has yet to announce his future landing spot, heads the outgoings after the team let him go following his Tour de France tramadol disqualification, while Connor Swift heads to Ineos Grenadiers.
A number teams are signing rider from B&B Hotels, either those on the 2022 roster or those who had expected to join the team for 2023. Victor Koretzky has already joined Bora-Hansgrohe and Quentin Jauregui heading to an amateur team in Dunkerque as riders try to salvage their career elsewhere.
It was only at the start of December that the squad's riders were told they could look for employment elsewhere, a point in the year when many other teams had already completed their signings and budgets for next year.
Ramon Sinkeldam, who was set to join the team for 2023, has made a switch to Alpecin-Deceuninck instead. Other likely signings including Cees Bol, Audrey Cordon-Ragot and Nick Schultz will be looking for alternative teams, as will the likes of Pierre Rolland, Franck Bonnamour and Axel Laurance and numerous team staff members.
Mark Cavendish is also still to confirm his future and even if he will race in 2023.
