Maximilano Richeze has renewed his contract with Lampre-Merida for another two years. He joined the team ahead of the 2013 season.

"The balance was good," he told Ciclismo Internacional when talking about the 2013 season. "After several years without WorldTour racing, I think I had a good second half of the season. The beginning was not very good. I had a hard time getting used to the pace but from the middle of the season I had adapted."

Richeze took four podiums at the Vuelta, one at the Eneco tour, and five at the Tour of Qinghai Lake.

"This year I did a little bit more resistance work in order to keep up with the pace of the WorldTour races which are very long," he explained. "As a consequence, I lost some power which I lacked in the races. With a year of competition in my legs I can see that I have the strength for next year and I will now focus more on my sprint and find that little bit extra that has been missing."

"My weak point is explosive sprints," he said. "The races that are short and flat cost me more. I prefer that the courses are a bit harder and that my rivals are a bit more tired in the sprint."

Next season, Richeze hopes to race the Tour de France. However, his race program is not yet decided. It seems though like he will start his season at the Tour de San Luis.

"I would love to ride the Tour de France since I have never done it before and because it is the biggest race in the world," he said. "The main objective is to start strong in St. Louis and then from there we will see what unfolds."