NSN Cycling Team have secured the futures of three New Zealand riders, with Corbin Strong, Dion Smith and George Bennett all signing contract extensions ahead of the 2027 season.
Strong has agreed the longest deal of the trio and will remain with the team through to the end of 2029. Smith has signed for a further two seasons, taking him through 2028, while Bennett will continue for one more year in 2027.
Strong commits through 2029
The three-year extension for Strong is the most significant of the announcements. The 26-year-old has spent his entire professional career within the same structure and has developed into one of NSN’s main options for harder one-day races and reduced sprints.
Strong added another important victory to his record in 2026 by winning the Circuit Franco-Belge and also finished fifth at Milan-San Remo. Those results underline the range that makes him valuable to NSN: he has enough speed to finish races from a small group, but can also survive far more climbing than a pure sprinter.
General manager Kjell Carlström described Strong as one of the team’s leaders and said the squad expects him to keep progressing over the next three seasons. Strong, meanwhile, pointed to the environment around the team as a major reason for staying after five years in the organisation.
“I feel like we’re continuing to get better every year,” Strong said. His new contract gives both rider and team a long runway as NSN continue reshaping the squad around several different leadership profiles.
Photo Credit: GettySmith retained after first season with NSN
Smith’s extension is built around a different role. The 33-year-old only joined the team for 2026 but quickly settled into a support position, working for leaders across a range of race types rather than chasing his own results as frequently as earlier in his career.
Carlström said Smith had proved his value as a teammate during his first season and that renewing the contract was an easy decision. The two-year deal keeps another experienced New Zealander in the group while the wider roster continues to change around him.
Bennett stays for 16th professional season
Bennett will continue into a 16th professional season after agreeing a one-year extension. The 36-year-old has increasingly become a road captain and climbing domestique, but he has still produced results of his own in 2026, most notably winning the New Zealand road race title for a second time.
His place in the squad also fits with the direction NSN are taking for 2027. The team have already signed Santiago Buitrago and Lennert Van Eetvelt, strengthening their climbing and general classification options. Bennett’s experience should make him particularly useful around riders expected to target stage races and Grand Tours.
“George’s experience is invaluable for the team,” Carlström said, adding that his road captaincy should become even more important as NSN put greater emphasis on general classification racing in 2027.
The three renewals give NSN continuity alongside a recruitment programme that has already brought several new names into the 2027 roster. Strong remains a long-term leader, Smith provides reliable support across different race programmes and Bennett offers both climbing depth and experience around the team’s new GC signings.
The moves have also been added to ProCyclingUK’s Men’s Cycling Transfers Hub, which is tracking confirmed transfers and contract extensions ahead of the 2027 season.
