The 31-year-old American was concerned in September that he would be forced to retire as he and his agent struggled to land a contract. Stetina had misfortune with his health, telling Cyclingnews he had an undiagnosed Epstein-Barr infection for much of the spring, then broke his collarbone before the Tour de France.
"It was a perfect storm of bad luck in a season where a lot of teams are downsizing, four US teams are completely folding, and a hundred riders are out of a contract," Stetina said last month.
After successful negotiations, Stetina gathered with his Trek-Segafredo teammates in Waterloo, Wisconsin for the squad's October camp, where riders will be fitted for bikes and clothing for the 2019 season.
"I am ecstatic to continue with the Trek family. They stood by me in a period of difficulty. Trek-Segafredo still believes in me and that is inspiring. I aim to take a nice offseason, totally reset my body and mind, and return to the level I have shown in the past. 2019 will be about returning to basics and enjoying the races: I want to help our leaders in the biggest mountain passes and also take my chance on a few climbs when the opportunity presents itself."
General manager Luca Guercilena expressed his confidence that Stetina can return to his best and target the US races such as the Tour of California. "Pete has showed a good end of the season, which confirmed his skills and value to the team as a strong helper in the climbing races," Guercilena said. "We are confident that in 2019 he will keep going at the same level and like always show his passion for cycling in general and for the American races in particular."
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