At a press conference today Team Saxo-Tinkoff owner, Bjarne Riis, put to rest months of speculation regarding the future of the team as he announced that Saxo Bank will enhance their commitment to Riis’ cycling team in 2014.

Co-name sponsor Tinkoff Bank will discontinue its involvement in the team at the end of 2013 following some strongly controversial public comments made by Russian Oleg Tinkov in the wake of the Tour de France and Alberto Contador’s relatively disappointing results not only in the Tour but throughout the season.

“The team will continue. In 2014 we will have a team that will be as strong as our team this year,” Riis said. “The quality of riders will be the same – hopefully it might be even better. Saxo Bank has decided to step up their commitment and as a result we will have a team in 2014. This renewed partnership means that the team will be named Saxo Bank in 2014. It also provides us with the opportunity to continue our search for additional sponsors throughout 2014. Out search for a co-name sponsor continues,” Riis added.

Alberto Contador was also present at the press conference and he was asked if there was any chance that he might join the future team of Formula One star Fernando Alonso.

“As things are my contract is with Saxo [-Tinkoff] and it will continue to be for two more years,” Contador said.

Speculations that current Euskaltel-Euskadi rider Samuel Sanchez might join Riis’ team once the Basque team dissolves at the end of the current season were dispelled by both Riis and Contador. Asked if he thought Sanchez would constitute a useful addition to the team, Riis replied:

“At the moment it’s not an issue. I respect Sanchez as a rider but I’ve had no negotiations with him.”

“It would be great to have Sanchez as a team-mate,” Contador added, “but as Bjarne just mentioned there’s been no negotiations.”

Contador was also quizzed about the very public criticism he has received from 2013 co-name sponsor Oleg Tinkov in the wake of the Tour de France.

“His criticism has had no influence,” Contador insisted. “His remarks have had no impact. They haven’t influenced the way I have worked.

When asked about the plans for 2014 Riis and Contador explained that Pole Rafal Majka will be the team leader for the Giro d’Italia whereas Contador will be aiming for the Tour de France and possibly the Vuelta a España.