Björn Leukemans has extended his contract with Vacansoleil-DCM through 2013 and, since he enjoyed the best season of his career to date, the 34-year-old has managed to negotiate a pay rise, according to Het Nieuwsblad. Although the Flemish rider took just three victories this year, a number of good placings in some of he biggest races made him one of the best-ranked riders in the Dutch team.
"The team appreciates my performance,” he said. “Accordingly, not only are my existing conditions improved but I get an extra year.
“I did not have to think about it,” Leukemans explained. “It gives me a good feeling to be appreciated. That the team also agreed to my request to bring in Kevin Van Impe is a plus point."
Leukemans led the Vacansoleil-DCM charge in the spring classics, where he finished seventh in the Ronde van Vlaanderen and thirteenth in Paris-Roubaix, finishing in the main group of favourites both times. He followed this up with second place in the Brabantse Pijl, where he was outsprinted by the unstoppable Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto), who went on to take an historic Ardennes Triple a few days later.
Where most riders who excel on the cobbles shy away from the Ardennes though, Leukemans manages to perform well in both, and took seventh in the Amstel Gold Race and ninth in Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
August proved to be Leukemans’ strongest month, when he won the Tour du Limousin, after holding the lead from stage one, and then the Druivenkoers-Overijse.