With their future now secured, Belkin have continued the process of building their roster for the coming season. The team has signed the talented Dutchman Mike Teunissen and extended the contracts of Jos Van Emden, Martijn Keizer, Marc Goos and road captain Bram Tankink.

The Belkin Pro Cycling TEAM – which recently signed a declaration of intent with De Lotto, BrandLoyalty and speed skating Team BrandLoyalty – extended the contracts of Jos van Emden, Marc Goos, Martijn Keizer and Bram Tankink for two more years. The team also managed to sign talented, 22-year-old Mike Teunissen from the Rabobank Development Team rider on a two-year contract.
 

General Manager Richard Plugge is very happy with the contract extensions.

“With this we keep the knowledge and experience within our team. Mike Teunissen is a youngster who had his training with the Rabobank Development Team.

"Thanks to the initial support of De Lotto and BrandLoyalty we can keep developing our vision which is to build a new future for cycling under the motto #RideTheFuture. The cooperation with Jac Orie’s speed skating team ensures that we have one team, with talents who will make their presence felt throughout the year. Right now we are still looking for a second title sponsor.”

BrandLoyalty will be involved in the cycling-skating project as a sub sponsor, but won’t be part of the name of the team.
 

“We are very pleased to have these riders,” said Sports Director Nico Verhoeven. “Jos is a versatile rider, who adds to our sprint train, the classic team and also knows how to compete in a grand tour. Marc Goos rode a strong Giro, his first grand tour ever and did very well. Martijn is currently riding his second grand tour of the year and is an excellent helper. Bram is our road captain and has an important role within our formation.”

“With Mike, we bring in a former junior world champion from the cyclo-cross category,” Verhoeven continued. “He shifted his focus completely to the road this year and showed signs of promising things by winning the junior’s Paris-Roubaix.”
 

“This contract shows that the team appreciates me for what I do," Van Emden said. "I’m very happy with that. I want to continue helping others. We have some very talented leaders within this team who I like working for. With the classics team, I would love to win Flanders or Roubaix."

“I feel this team is the right place for me," Goos said. "I’m working very well together with my coach. The new set-up with a Dutch sponsor looks really promising, as well. I hope I can keep developing myself at this team the coming years.”

“This new contract is wonderful, especially after my special start to the season," Keizer said. "Initially, I didn’t have a team. I suddenly was able to join one of the best teams in the peloton later. This extension confirms that I’m doing well. That’s a great feeling.”

“You won’t find the structure of this team in a lot of other teams," Tankink said. "My role as road captain suits me very well. With the strong leaders we have, I think this team can grow even further. I like to add to that process.”

“For someone my age, this is fantastic. I have worked very long and hard for this,” said Teunissen.

“First I hope to get a lot of kilometres under my belt and to complete my duties as well as possible. Then I hope to show myself a little bit more. I look up to riders like Wilco [Kelderman] and Moreno [Hofland]. I’ve raced with them in the past and now, they are doing very well at the highest level. I hope to accomplish that, as well.

“Roubaix has a course that suits me and is a race in which I hope to develop myself. However, I’m a decent time trialist and pretty good uphill as well, so short stage races should suit me, too. This is my second normal year on the road and we’ll just have to wait and see where my real specialties lie. I’m very happy I get the chance to do that at Team Belkin.”