Saxo Bank willing to continue co-sponsorship

Saxo Bank is ready to extend its sponsorship of Tinkoff-Saxo for another year, even if the price will go up. CEO Lars Seier Christensen arrived at the Tour de France for negotiations with co-sponsor Oleg Tinkov and the team.

"We expect to have everything under control before we leave Paris," Christensen said.

The Danish investment bank has been involved with the team since 2008, and has been renewing its sponsorship on a yearly basis for the last few years. Its most recent sponsor's contract expires the end of this year. Tinkov took over the team this season.

"I consider it very unlikely that we're not here next year in one way or another. But Oleg probably has his own agenda with the team, and basically it is he who decides - not me," Christensen told jyllands-posten.dk.

"Oleg has raised the budget and I will be very surprised if there are not a few exciting new riders into the team next season. It is Oleg's team, and he does with it as he wants. Then we have to try to keep up."