Voigt renews contract with Saxo Bank

Jens Voigt has confirmed that he will stay with Saxo Bank until at least the end of 2010 after he agreed to a contract extension with the Danish ProTour team on Wednesday.

"It's a pleasure to sign a contract for another year with Jens," said Saxo Bank team owner Bjarne Riis. "He has an important role to play on our team with his unstoppable will, power and endurance."

Riis said the 37-year-old German, who has been recovering from injuries sustained in a serious crash on stage 16 of this year's Tour de France, would play an important role supporting the development of younger riders on the team.

"I am honoured to be offered a contract for another year and I definitely want to prove that I'm alive and well, ready to achieve what I believe I am capable of," said Voigt. "Team Saxo Bank is the Barcelona or Real Madrid of world of cycling and I don't want to drop to a lower standard. I'm grateful to know that Bjarne still thinks I'm good enough to compete at this level."

The one-year extension will see Voigt race his seventh season with Bjarne Riis' squad. He joined the Dane's CSC in 2004, after six years at French team Crédit Agricole (1998-2003). Voigt began his professional career with ZVVZ-Giant- Australian Institute of Sport in 1997. Prior to this he had raced for four years as an amateur with the German army's sports unit.

In his so far 12-year professional career Voigt has established himself as one of the peloton's most recognisable characters. He has won stages at both the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France. In addition to his two stage wins at the French Grand Tour and, in 2005, wore the malliot jaune of race leader.

Since 2006, Voigt has acted, on the behalf of his fellow professionals, as the Cyclistes Professionels Associés (CPA) representative to the UCI ProTour council.

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