Team Silence-Lotto has just announced that Cadel Evans has signed a two year contract extension with the team. Cadel Evans will therefore stay with the team for the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

The Silence-Lotto team management find the signed agreement to be a proof of Evans' confidence in the Silence-Lotto team. Many people doubted that Evans would stay with the team after Evans was left alone with no support from teammates in many of the crucial stages of the 2008 Tour de France. Not least did Yaroslav Popovych not meet the expectations of several analysts.

Cadel Evans finished second in the Tour de France in 2007 and 2008 and furthermore he was successful in the spring season of 2008 with stage victories in the Ruta del Sol, Paris-Nice and the Coppi e Bartali. It was noted by many observers that he showed a more aggressive and interesting riding style during the Tour of Italy. The passive, reluctant Evans was apparently a thing of the past.

Not surprisingly the 2009 Tour the France will be Cadel Evans' main goal next season.