Trek-Segafredo for Tour of California - News Shorts

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Trek Segafredo have revealed its squad for the Tour of California with a mix of eight riders capable of challenging for stage wins and the overall classification.

The team start the 2.HC stage race with two Americans in its squad, Peter Stetina and Kiel Reijnen, who have both recorded several top-ten stage results. Stetina was sixth overall on his last appearance at the race in 2014, having made his debut in 2010, finishing 11th on GC.

Reijnen and Italian Niccolo Bonifazio will provide the team with two fast options in the sprint across the eight stages which starts in San Diego on May 15 while Jasper Stuyven also packs a fast finish.

Colombian climber Julian Arredondo offers the team an options for the climbs and call be called upon for Stetina. The reliable duo of Haimer Zubeldia and Markel Irizar add experience to the squad while Julien Bernard was tenth overall at the  USA Pro Challenge, his last outing on American soil.

Trek Segafredo for 2016 Tour of California: Haimer Zubeldia, Jasper Stuyven, Julian Arredondo, Julien Bernard, Kiel Reijnen, Markel Irizar, Niccolo Bonifazio and Peter Stetina.

Peter Stetina at the Tour Down Under with Trek-Segafredo (Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Two more years at Boels-Dolmans for Blaak and Majerus

Boels-Dolmans has announced contract extensions with two of its key riders, Chantal Blaak and Luxembourg national champion Christine Majerus 

"I feel very much at home in this team, where everything is organised down to the last detail. Plus, a two-year contract gives you stability and confidence, which is a great feeling," said Blaak who won the Women's WorldTour races Ronde van Drenthe and Gent–Wevelgem in the spring. "This team also has a good balance of hard work and maximum results in a relaxed atmosphere."

Blaak also enjoyed winning Le Samyn des Dames and a stage at the Energiewacht Tour and finishing on the podium of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Ronde van Vlaanderen.

Having been an important domestique in four of the team's five Women's WorldTour wins, Majerus also enjoyed freedom to pursue her personal ambitions, winning the Dwars door de Westhoek. The 29-year-old explained considering the team and personal success during her time with Boels Dolmans so far, it was an easy decision to extend her contract.

"I’ve already enjoyed three fantastic years with the team," Majerus said. "As a team we've made some incredible progress, which has paid off this spring with a great start to the season. It makes an enormous difference when you know that you can rely on your teammates and everyone else who works for the team gives one hundred percent. This is the spirit in which I want to continue.

The extension of Blaak and Mejerus' contracts follows the news that world champion Lizzie Armitstead and Boels Dolmans manager Danny Stam have committed to the team until the end of 2018.

Groupe Gobert to sponsor Wanty-Groupe Gobert until at least end of 2018

Belgian Pro-Continental team Wanty-Groupe Gobert have announced title sponsor Groupe Gobert will continue its association until the end of the 2018 season. Wanty recently announced it would continue its sponsorship for a further three-years.

"This is an incredible opportunity for the team to work with reliable partners who have a long-term vision," team manager Jean-François Bourlart said of the news.

"A cycling team is not built on one or two seasons but in the long term. WANTY and Groupe Gobert understand it very well. We made a great step forward for the first World Tour victory in the Amstel Gold Race. The team is constantly evolving and it is thanks to the trust and investment of our sponsors," he added.

Groupe Gobert CEO Ronald Gobert explained it was an easy decision to extend the sponsorship and is looking forward to continuing a successful partnership.

"This partnership is the result of a fruitful collaboration and values. This extension means for Groupe Gobert a symbol of reliability and faith in the future. The team is in the image of our company, constant professionalism while maintaining a familial and structured mind to achieve great goals. It is with immense joy that we are pursuing this adventure in a team in constant evolution and recognized in the world of cycling," Gobert said.

Groupe Gobert is Belgian manufacturing company specialising in construction materials.

Wynants with LottoNL-Jumbo until end of 2018

Dutchman Maarten Wynants will continue in the peloton to at least the end of the 2018 season with the 33-yera-old signing a two-year contract extension with LottoNL-Jumbo. The possibility of building a sprint train for Dylan Groenewegen, who has three wins to his name already in 2016, proved to be the clincher for Wynants who rode for the Quickstep squad before joining what is now LottoNL-Jumbo from 2011.

"The sprint train is a new thing for me, but it's an interesting process. I'm able to share my experience with the team and we’re developing quite quickly. I want to keep on being a part of that train and to help this him become a success," said Wynants. "The Flemish spring classics are my personal target every year and I will focus on the lead-out afterwards. I will participate in the same grand tours as Dylan in the upcoming years."

For sports director Nico Verhoeven, securing Wynants' signature is key to future success of his young riders as he explained.

"He reached a high level in those races this year, as well. Besides that, he is important in the lead-out for Dylan Groenewegen," Verhoeven said. "Maarten is physically strong. He takes the right decisions and leads the team in those situations. That's important during our project towards 2018 in which the development of talented riders plays a major role."

Maarten Wynants will ride on to the end of the 2018 season at least with LottoNL-Jumbo