Australian climber will stay at Australian team until end of 2020
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Mitchelton-Scott's Jack Haig rides during stage 3 of the 2018 Tour of Utah(Image credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images)
The top three for the week – Israel Cycling Academy's Ben Hermans in second place, overall winner Sepp Kuss (LottoNL-Jumbo) and third-placed Mitchelton-Scott's Jack Haig – celebrate on the podium at the end of the 2018 Tour of Utah(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)
Mitchelton-Scott's Jack Haig makes it to Rome. The Australian was instrumental during teammate Simon Yates' assault on trying to win the Giro(Image credit: Getty Images)
Jack Haig (Mitchelton Scott)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Jack Haig (Mitchelton-Scott) attacked to bridge to the breakaway(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
One of Australia's most exciting young stage-race talents, Jack Haig, has extended his contract with the Mitchelton-Scott team, committing to the team until at least the end of 2020.
Haig already had a contract keeping him at Mitchelton-Scott until the end of next year, but the extension takes the stress out of next season otherwise being a 'contract year' for him, he said, and gives him a real opportunity to continue to develop his talents in a familiar environment.
"I obviously had one year left, but the team has said they'd like to have me for an extra year on top of my current contract, which is really nice," Haig said in a team press release.
"It's nice to have the confidence with the team that they are happy to keep developing me, keep giving me chances, and also giving me time to work for those things.
"The goal I'd like to go into the next two seasons with is trying to take more responsibility in the week-long tours and having a bit more of a leadership role there. But I also love working for the two Yates brothers [Simon and Adam] and Esteban Chaves, so I hope to continue in that role, like I did at this year's Giro d’Italia, and hopefully help one of them to win a Grand Tour in the next couple of years."
The 24-year-old Haig, from Southport in Queensland, so far has only one pro victory to his name – a stage win at last season's Tour de Pologne – but he's worked hard for his team this season, and finished third overall at the recent Tour of Utah, and will now head to the Vuelta a España at the end of the month, which will be the third time he's ridden the Spanish Grand Tour.
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"I'm looking forward to getting more experience, learning, and learning off the three leaders we have at the moment," Haig said.
The contract extension is a clear indication of the trust the Mitchelton-Scott team management have in the young rider continuing to develop.
"The progression that Jack has shown in the last couple of years has been really exciting for us and we are really happy we can continue our journey with him and his development with the team," the team's head sports director, Matt White, said. "We see him as a really integral part of our team moving forward."
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