Cycling: Kiwi George Bennett extends Team LottoNL-Jumbo contract

Kiwi cyclist George Bennett. Photo credit: Getty.

Kiwi cyclist George Bennett has confirmed a three-year extension with his Team LottoNL-Jumbo outfit.

Bennett, 28, has been part of the top-tier pro team since 2015 and is now considered one of their top riders, as he climbs the world rankings.

After winning last year's Tour of California, he pushed for a top-10 finish at the Tour de France, before withdrawing through exhaustion.

But he bounced back this year with eighth in the Grio d'Italia - the best Grand Tour finish ever by a Kiwi - where he filled the role of lead rider for his team.

Bennett has bypassed the 2018 French classic to build towards the Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain) in August/September.

"I've come a long way as a cyclist since joining Team Lotto-Jumbo," he says. "It's been a result of a lot of hard work from the staff and riders.

"The whole team has put a lot of faith in my abilities and we share the same vision for the future.

"I'm excited about taking the next steps with the team and seeing how far I can go as a GC [General Classification] rider in the world's biggest races.

"I feel at home here and feel that I'm in the best place to get the most out of myself."

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