Friday evening ORICA-GreenEDGE was able to announce that the team had extended the contract with Dutch Pieter Weening, who joined the Australian team in its maiden year (2011) after 12 years loyalty with Rabobank.

The Dutchman has since his arrival only excelled his impressive palmarés - taking the overall victory in Tour of Poland early August, finishing top ten in the GC at the Eneco Tour and Vuelta Ciclsta al Pais Vasco. Moreover he took two top ten stage results at Giro d’Italia. Adding these results to his wealth of experience and former results, including stage wins in both the Tour and the Giro, it is no wonder why ORICA-GreenEDGE is pleased to extend the contract with Weening.

“It’s great news that we can announce Pieter Weening is staying with the team for a couple more years,” said Sport Director Matt White. “He’s been consistent this whole year with good form from the first race until now. He’s earned a place in the top 20 in the World Tour rankings as a result of his strong results throughout the entire season.”

Also Weening is pleased with the agreement, especially because the team offers him the freedom to pursue his own chances

“I have a lot of freedom to do my own thing and to do the races I like,” said Weening. “I have been really good where I wanted to be good this season so far. Doing my own thing helps me feel valued in this team.”

Furthermore, Weening looked beyond his own personal goals and emphasized that the team spirit made the choice easy

 “This is a really good team for me,” said Weening. “Honestly, I just really like it here. The team spirit is the most important thing for me. It’s a team full of fighters. We don’t have a lot of riders on paper who can win big races, but we’re always there. In the team’s first year, people didn’t think we’d get results because we didn’t have a lot of big names, but we did. That’s because of the team spirit.”

As we see more often, the captains and winning riders take their time to thank their teammates, whom they could not have succeeded without. Weening believes that it is only because of the team, that he is able to shine in the stage races.

“I really like these races because they are the kind of races that suit me most,” Weening said. “In this team, I know I will get support from the other guys. It was with their support that I have been able to achieve some good results this year.”

Matt White do not believe that we have seen Weening’s full potential “I don’t think we have seen the best yet of him yet, Pete has found a good home in OGE and we’re happy to continue that relationship to see how good he can become.”

With a stage win in both the Tour and the Giro Weening's dream is pretty clear.

 “I want to try to win another stage at a Grand Tour,” said Weening. “I already have one at the Tour and the Giro, so hopefully in the next two years I can get one at the Vuelta. To have stage wins at all three Grand Tours would be my dream.”