Tour of Flanders winner Alberto Bettiol has extended his contract with EF Pro Cycling and will remain with the US WorldTour team until the end of 2021.

Bettiol spent the early part of his career with Jonathan Vaughters' team, moving to BMC in 2018 before returning the following year. Always considered a talented classic rider, he proved his mettle with a solo attack at the Tour de Flanders in Quaremont. Incredibly, this was his first career victory.

He then won the time trial at Etoile de Besseges, and on Saturday, he rode with a comfortable fourth place at Strade Bianche, chasing down winner Wout Van Aert.

"Albert has been a great part of this team for many years now and is a rider we all love to race and eat with. From Flanders to his recent success at Strade Bianche, his class is evident. He is an important part of this team, to say the least," team manager Jonathan Vaughters said, confirming the extension of Bettiol's contract.

Bettiol, who hails from Poggi Bonsi, not far from the Strade Bianche course, will be EF Pro Cycling's first major signing of 2021. Rigoberto Uran, Tejay Van Garderen, and classic contender Sepp Vanmarcke are all out of contract this year, while talented young Colombian Sergio Iguita and Canadian Michael Woods will join the team in 2021.

"I'm really happy to stay with this team. It's like having a second family. It's the perfect environment for me to grow and has really given me confidence since 2018 when I decided to rejoin," Bettiol said.

"I won in Flanders because of this team and a lot of the important things that have happened in my career are thanks to this team."

Bettiol sees his run at Strade Bianche as a springboard to the rest of the rescheduled 2020 season. He first showed his spring 2019 form in his attack on the Milan-San Remo poggio. He surprised many, including an Italian TV commentator who thought he was Simon Clark. Bettiol reacted to the lack of recognition by removing his sunglasses and pointing to his eyes as he crossed the finish line of the Tour of Flanders.

Bettiol will be part of the EF Pro Cycling team for Saturday's Milan-San Remo, where he will ride the Tour de France before targeting the Classics in October.

"I am happy with my performance in Strade Bianche on Saturday. I proved that I am still at a good level. For me, this is the perfect environment to keep working, keep improving, keep getting results, and further demonstrate my ability not only as a leader but also as a great helper of the team," Bettiol said.

"I want to be the same rider as last year, the same level and even better. I still have a lot of goals to achieve for the team, for myself of course, and to help the big riders as a teammate. I'm really looking forward to starting the next race this weekend in Milano-Sanremo, and most importantly, being with a team that has really believed in me from the beginning."