Ian Stannard before the start of stage 3 at Criterium du dauphine(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Ian Stannard (Team Sky)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Ian Stannard near the front of the bunch(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Ian Stannard (Team Sky)(Image credit: Team Sky)
Ian Stannard in the bunch(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Ian Stannard has signed a three-year contract extension with Team Sky, the team announced on Wednesday. The 30-year-old has been part of the WorldTour squad since their debut season in 2010.
"We get the best support in this team and we get looked after really well. The team listen to the riders and involve us in the decisions, and that's really important in races like the Classics, which is where my goals lie," Stannard said in a statement released by his team.
While Stannard has endured a difficult 2017 campaign, and missed out on selection for the Tour de France, he has already turned part of his attention towards next season. Stannard made the podium in Paris-Roubaix in 2016 and has won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite on two occasions but this year he washed out in the Classics due to illness and a lack of form. For 2018 Stannard will centre his Classics campaign around Paris-Roubaix.
"I'm thinking about next year now and pulling all the pieces together for that. I'll sit down with Rod [Ellingworth] and go through it - pick this season apart and put a plan in for next year. Paris-Roubaix is the one I really I want to win and I need to try and get that right."
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