After strong starts to the season for
Mikkel Bjerg and
Tim Wellens, both riders have decided to extend their contracts with
UAE Team Emirates, with the Dane set to stay with the team until 2027, whilst the Belgian has only extended for one year, with his contract set to run until the end of the 2025 season.
Despite having not taken a victory so far this season, Wellens had a strong Classics campaign, as he finished second at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, third at Brabantse Pijl and fourth at the E3 Saxo Classic, along with top-15 finishes at both the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix.
In his first season with the team in 2023, he took the victory in the general classification at the Renewi Tour, which marked his third overall win at the race in his career, as well as a stage win at the Vuelta a Andalucía.
On signing his new contract with the team, Wellens said “I’m very pleased to be able to continue with UAE Team Emirates and grateful for the opportunity. I find a good balance between personal ambitions and helping my teammates depending on the race, and it’s a role I am enjoying a lot. I feel honoured to be surrounded by such good strong people, not only riders but also the best staff. I feel it’s like a family, with a really positive atmosphere at every race. I still have a lot of ambition to stay at the highest level for years to come and win many races with the team”.
Meanwhile, Bjerg took the first victory of his career in the stage 4 time trial at last year’s Critérium du Dauphiné. This season, the three-time U23 Time Trial World Champion finished third behind his UAE Team Emirates teammates Brandon McNulty and Jay Vine in a time trial at the UAE Tour and took the best Monument result of his career with a fourth place finish at the Ronde van Vlaanderen.
On inking his new three-year deal with the team, Bjerg said “I’m super pleased to be committing long-term to UAE Team Emirates. The team has believed in me a lot since the start of my career and I feel like I have progressed and grown alongside the team which I am proud to be a part of. Having the long-term support and expertise from the best squad in the world I feel like I’m in the right place and want to continue growing alongside the team”.
