Team KATUSHA had announced that it has reached an agreement with Marco Haller, Viacheslav Kuznetsov and Michael Mørkøv to extend the term of their contracts.

Austrian rider Marco Haller (25) is one of the key players in the lead-out train for Alexander Kristoff, but he can finish the job himself too, as he proved last year by winning the Overall Classification of the Tour des Fjords as well as the Austrian Road Championship.

"I am still young, but now I am already finishing my fifth year in this Team KATUSHA. I feel myself as a part, or a brick, of this project. There were options for me to sign elsewhere, but I prefer to stay where the atmosphere is good. I am really happy to have re-signed. Now I already feel a renewed good vibe in the team," said Marco Haller.

Viacheslav Kuznetsov (27, Russia) was one of the revelations of last Spring when he obtained a podium spot in Gent-Wevelgem. Kuznetsov knows the KATUSHA house very well after having spent three years in the continental and four seasons in the WorldTour team.

"Many things changed for me in 2016. The team had trust in me and gave me chances and I was happy not to have disappointed, like I showed in Gent-Wevelgem and Tour de Wallonie. Moreover, I was very pleased with the opportunity to start and to finish my first Grand Tour, the Giro d’Italia. I made some steps forward and I am happy to go on with Team KATUSHA. I will still improve and would love to help my teammates as well in reaching big results," says Viacheslav Kuznetsov.

Danish Michael Mørkøv (31), former world champion and silver Olympic medalist on the track, joined Team KATUSHA in 2016 to strengthen the sprinters group around Alexander Kristoff.

"I am as happy to extend my contract as I was last year in joining Team KATUSHA. I am very satisfied with the season so far, especially with the way we spent the Spring campaign. It is great to continue with this successful team. I feel a really great atmosphere here in KATUSHA and the management in the team is very professional. For me everything is really good in the team," said Michael Mørkøv.

"For us there was not one second of discussion about these three riders. Everyone who follows cycling will have noticed what these three guys signify for the team. Viacheslav Kuznetsov suprised us in a positive way this year; Marco Haller is a rock where you can build on. He only thinks of his leader, which is the right spirit in a team sport and Michael Mørkøv showed he was the guy we needed in our sprinter’s train. The way Michael continued on in the Tour de France after his terrible crash in the first stage was proof of his unflagging dedication to his team," said Team KATUSHA General Manager Viacheslav Ekimov.