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.
- Kiwi George Bennett sitting out French classic
- Tour de France: France's Julian Alaphilippe claims Stage 10 honours
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."
Newshub.
