News shorts: Lindeman extends with LottoNL-Jumbo

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Bert-Jan Lindeman on the stage 7 podium.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

LottoNL-Jumbo has rewarded Vuelta a Espana stage winner Bert-Jan Lindeman with a contract renewal and extension that will see the Dutchman remain with the team until the conclusion of the 2017 season.

"Of course we are all already looking forward to the future, which involves Bert-Jan. He has developed well in his first year with the team. Therefore, we really wanted to keep him in our team," Verhoeven said. "Bert-Jan has proved his value to the team in every race he rode. He's an all-rounder, but particularly strong in the mountains. He did not win a mountain stage in the Vuelta by chance. Besides that, he was always there when he needed to support the leaders. Bert-Jan is simply very valuable to our team."

"I have raced in the Paris-Tours only once, but despite my limited experience in the race, I remember the route pretty well," said Enger who ride the race as a stagiaire with IAM Cycling last season. "It is not as easy as it seems. Although all the roads that we race are relatively flat, there are a few climbs that come in the last kilometers and can make the difference. It is essential to eliminate the sprinters less comfortable with these sorts of challenges, especially since it's all after more than 230 kilometres of racing.

"If I can go there with the same condition I had this past week at the Eurometropole Tour, then this is an event that very well could suit me. I appreciate the fact that there are some harder bits in the race. Anyway, I know the team will do everything it can so that one of us will be in a position to try and win. But before thinking about a victory, we must act like a team, ride as a compact unit, and be together for the entire race. Once we can accomplish that, then we will be in a position to decide which card we will want to play.

"With guys like Heinrich Haussler, Jonas Van Genechten, as well as Roger Kluge and myself, we will have a lot of options to finish fast. I don't yet know what tactics IAM Cycling will adopt, but we will certainly be aggressive," he said. "Whether it is to help my teammates or try my own chances, I want to be present at the finale. I have had a pretty complicated year physically. My season has been punctuated by a lot of injuries. But I still managed to win my first professional victory at the Tour of Austria. So it is very important for me to finish on a good note. A win would of course be the perfect way to put an end to this 2015 season. But I am not the only one in the peloton with that ambition. Of that I am certain."

"Over the past two years both riders have gained a fix spot in our core team although their path concurring," team manager Marc Sergeant said. "Stig made a name for himself in his first Tour of Flanders, but that led to high expectations. During the past season, he noticed that making constant progress is anything but easy. But Stig is strong and showed that he's the perfect teammate. For me it was a logical decision that he stays put and continues his career with Lotto Soudal.

"Sean had a difficult first year. He made the step to the professionals with a hallmark of "big talent" and that wasn't easy," Sergeant said. "After the first half of the season, he found his place in the team and from that moment on, things started going better. First, he was valuable for the team but this year we saw that Sean also can ride finals. We are giving Sean the opportunity to continue developing in our team."

"My first year as a professional wasn't good. I couldn't find the good feeling on my bike which resulted in bad performances. Since the beginning of this season, I've rediscovered the joy of racing and things are going good again. I take most pride in my Tour of Flanders selection. In our team, it isn't easy to get a spot in this selection. Thanks to my fifth place in the Three Days of De Panne-Koksijde, I could enforce my selection. Also the way I was able to win GP Impanis was fantastic," De Bie said. "Next year, I hope to keep my level constant throughout the season. The Tour of Flanders remains one of my main goals in 2016. If everything goes well next year, I will participate for the first time in a Grand Tour. These perspectives give me enough motivation to give 100 percent this winter."

"In general, I'm pretty happy with my season," he said. "I rode my first Grand Tour and it was a nice experience. Apparently, my body is able to cope with such a Tour as my results became better and better towards the end. I needed the Giro to take a next step in my development as a rider. During The past two years, I've gathered a lot of experience and I had to pay a tuition fee. I've learned some new things about racing as well as about training methods, that definitely will be useful in the next races. With this contract extension, I get two more years to prove and develop myself. Especially the Spring Classics suit me well. Next year, I will try to show my capabilities in these races."