Paris - AFP
German veteran Jens Voigt has signed a one-year extension to his contract with Leopard-Trek, the Luxembourg-based team announced on Friday. It means Voigt will be part of the new Radioshack-Nissan-Trek team in 2012, following RadioShack's announcement that it will merge with Leopard ahead of the 2012 season. Voigt, known as one of the most powerful riders in the peloton, was part of the team that helped Luxembourg siblings Andy and Frank Schleck to second and third place respectively in this year's Tour de France. "It is my dream to bring one of the Schleck brothers in the yellow jersey to Paris, so I'm happy to continue riding with them and try to secure an overall victory in the Tour de France," said Voigt. "It's been an exciting journey so far and I’m proud that I can be part of this team next season." The teams' merger, announced earlier this week, reportedly stunned many of Leopard's current riders. The team was only launched ahead of the current season. Voigt, who turns 40 in a week, added: "The recent changes in the team's structure have been challenging for all of us, and I hope there will be swift solutions for all riders and staff." Voigt's further year with the team will be his 16th season as a professional bike rider, having turned professional in 1997. In those years he has ridden in 14 Tours de France and won over 60 races.