Dimension Data (cycling team)

Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka
Team information
UCI code DDD
Registered South Africa
Founded 2007 (2007)
Discipline Road cycling
Status UCI Continental (2007–2012)
UCI Professional Continental (2013–2015)
UCI WorldTeam (2016– )
Bicycles Trek (2007–2014)
Cervélo (2015–)[1]
Website Team home page
Key personnel
General manager Brian Smith
Team manager(s) Douglas Ryder
Rolf Aldag
Roger Hammond
Team name history
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011–2015
2016–		 MTN
Team MTN
MTN Cycling
MTN–Energade
MTN–Qhubeka
Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka

Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka (Zulu pronunciation: [ǃʰuˈɓɛːɠa]) (UCI team code: DDD) is a World Tour cycling team based in South Africa. Until 2016 it was known as MTN–Qhubeka. The team's name reflects that whilst it is sponsored by Dimension Data Holdings, it rides for Qhubeka, a charity programme in South Africa.[2] The team aim to fund 5000 bicycles every year for the charity.

History

Foundation

The team was founded in 2007, becoming a Continental Team in 2008. The team remained as a UCI Continental Team until the end of the 2012 season, with the team registering its interest for a Professional Continental licence for 2013.[3] In November 2012, the team were registered as a Professional Continental team – Africa's first[4] – by the Union Cycliste Internationale, for the 2013 season.[5][6]

The team achieved their first major win in 2013 when Gerald Ciolek won Milan-San Remo, one of the 5 Monuments of cycling. The team received their first Grand Tour wildcard for the 2014 Vuelta a España.

In July 2014, the team announced that for the 2015 season they would be using Cervélo bikes[7] with Brian Smith being appointed interim general manager.[8] In August 2014, the team confirmed the signing of Edvald Boasson Hagen on a 2-year contract.[9][10] In September 2014 the team announced they had signed Tyler Farrar[11] and Matthew Goss[12] for the 2015 season.

First African Team in Tour de France

On 14 January 2015, the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) announced the 22 teams that would participate in the 2015 Tour de France, with MTN-Qhubeka making history as the first African registered team to take part.[13] Steve Cummings brought the team their first stage win of the Tour, stage 14 on Mandela Day. The team's second Grand Tour stage victory came the following month at the 2015 Vuelta a España, where Kristian Sbaragli won a reduced bunch sprint on stage 10.[14]

Daniel Teklehaimanot made history in the 2015 Tour de France when he spent four days in the race’s polka-dot jersey, becoming not only the first Eritrean but the first African to wear that jersey. The success brought him to the attention of the wider cycling world.

Dimension Data as new sponsor

In July 2015, MTN announced they would end their sponsorship of the team.[15] Two months later, Dimension Data was announced as the team's new primary sponsor. The new team name would be "Team Dimension Data for Quebeka"; the change in name was intended to demonstrate that the team supported the Qhubeka charity rather than receiving sponsorship for them. The change came at the same time as rumours were circulating that Mark Cavendish and his lead-out man Mark Renshaw were about to sign with the team for the 2016 season.[16] Days later the team announced Deloitte had agreed to become a major sponsor of the team;[17] the very next day the signing of Cavendish and Renshaw – along with their former teammate Bernhard Eisel – was confirmed.[18] In November 2015 the team announced that Rolf Aldag had been appointed as the team's Performance Manager with immediate effect, following Cavendish and Renshaw from Etixx–Quick-Step.[19] Later that month Roger Hammond announced that he would join the team as a sports director for 2016, combining the role with his current position as manager of the Madison Genesis squad,[20] and it was confirmed that the team had been granted a UCI World Tour licence for the 2016 season, becoming the first African team to enter cycling's top division.[21]

Team roster

Rider Date of birth
 Igor Antón (ESP) (1983-03-02) 2 March 1983
 Natnael Berhane (ERI) (1991-01-05) 5 January 1991
 Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) (1987-05-17) 17 May 1987
 Mark Cavendish (GBR) (1985-05-21) 21 May 1985
 Steve Cummings (GBR) (1981-03-19) 19 March 1981
 Scott Davies (GBR) (1995-08-05) 5 August 1995
 Mekseb Debesay (ERI) (1991-06-16) 16 June 1991
 Nicholas Dlamini (RSA) (1995-08-12) 12 August 1995
 Nicolas Dougall (RSA) (1992-11-21) 21 November 1992
 Bernhard Eisel (AUT) (1981-02-17) 17 February 1981
 Amanuel Gebrezgabihier (ERI) (1994-08-17) 17 August 1994
 Ryan Gibbons (RSA) (1994-08-13) 13 August 1994
 Jacques Janse van Rensburg (RSA) (1987-09-06) 6 September 1987
 Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (RSA) (1989-02-03) 3 February 1989
Rider Date of birth
 Ben King (USA) (1989-03-22) 22 March 1989
 Merhawi Kudus (ERI) (1994-01-23) 23 January 1994
 Louis Meintjes (RSA) (1992-02-21) 21 February 1992
 Lachlan Morton (AUS) (1992-01-02) 2 January 1992
 Ben O'Connor (AUS) (1995-11-25) 25 November 1995
 Serge Pauwels (BEL) (1983-11-21) 21 November 1983
 Mark Renshaw (AUS) (1982-10-22) 22 October 1982
 Tom-Jelte Slagter (NED) (1989-07-01) 1 July 1989
 Jay Thomson (RSA) (1986-04-12) 12 April 1986
 Scott Thwaites (GBR) (1990-02-12) 12 February 1990
 Johann van Zyl (RSA) (1991-02-02) 2 February 1991
 Jaco Venter (RSA) (1987-02-13) 13 February 1987
 Julien Vermote (BEL) (1989-07-26) 26 July 1989

Major wins

National champions

2010
South Africa Road Race Christoff Van Heerden
South Africa Time Trial Kevin Evans
Rwanda Road Race Adrien Niyonshuti
2011
South Africa Time Trial, Daryl Impey
Namibia Road Race, Lotto Petrus
Namibia Time Trial, Lotto Petrus
Rwanda Road Race, Adrien Niyonshuti
2012
South Africa Time Trial, Reinardt Janse van Rensburg
Rwanda Road Race Adrien Niyonshuti
Namibia Road Race, Lotto Petrus
Namibia Time Trial, Lotto Petrus
2013
South Africa Road Race, Jay Thomson
Lithuania Time Trial, Ignatas Konovalovas
South Africa U23 Road Race, Louis Meintjes
South Africa U23 Time Trial, Louis Meintjes
2014
South Africa Road Race, Louis Meintjes
South Africa U23 Road Race, Louis Meintjes
South Africa U23 Time Trial, Louis Meintjes
Ethiopia Road Race, Tsgabu Grmay
Ethiopia Time Trial, Tsgabu Grmay
2015
South Africa Road Race, Jacques Janse van Rensburg
Norway Time Trial, Edvald Boasson Hagen
Eritrea Time Trial, Daniel Teklehaimanot
Eritrea Road Race, Natnael Berhane
Norway Road Race, Edvald Boasson Hagen
Netherlands Track (Kilo), Theo Bos
Netherlands Track (Individual sprint), Theo Bos
2016
South Africa Road Race, Jaco Venter
World Track (Madison), Mark Cavendish
Belarus Time Trial, Kanstantsin Siutsou
Norway Time Trial, Edvald Boasson Hagen
Eritrea Time Trial, Daniel Teklehaimanot
Rwanda Time Trial, Adrien Niyonshuti
Eritrea Road Race, Daniel Teklehaimanot
Belarus Road Race, Kanstantsin Siutsou
Norway Road Race, Edvald Boasson Hagen
2017
South Africa Road Race, Reinardt Janse van Rensburg
Norway Time Trial, Edvald Boasson Hagen
British Time Trial, Steve Cummings
Eritrea Time Trial, Mekseb Debesay
Rwanda Time Trial, Adrien Niyonshuti
British Road Race, Steve Cummings
Algeria Road Race, Youcef Reguigui
2018
Norway Time Trial, Edvald Boasson Hagen
Eritrea Road Race, Merhawi Kudus

References

  1. ↑ Windsor, Richard (28 November 2014). "MTN-Qhubeka goes all Newcastle United with new 2015 kit". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  2. ↑ "About Qhubeka". Qhubeka.org. Qhubeka.org. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  3. ↑ "MTN-Qhubeka targets 2015 Tour de France". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. 3 February 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  4. ↑ "Team MTN-Qhubeka is Africa's First Pro Continental Team". Bicycling. Rodale Inc. 29 November 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  5. ↑ "Registration completed for three Professional Continental Teams". UCI.ch. Union Cycliste Internationale. 28 November 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  6. ↑ "UCI confirms three more Pro Continental licences for 2013". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. 28 November 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  7. ↑ "MTN-Qhubeka to ride Cervélo next season". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. 22 July 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  8. ↑ "Brian Smith appointed interim manager of MTN-Qhubeka". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. 29 July 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  9. ↑ "MTN-Qhubeka confirms Boasson Hagen signing". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  10. ↑ "Edvald Boasson Hagen signs for Team MTN-Qhubeka". teammtnqhubeka.com. MTN-Qhubeka. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  11. ↑ "Farrar signs for MTN-Qhubeka". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. 10 September 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  12. ↑ "Transfers: Goss confirmed with MTN-Qhubeka for 2015". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. 18 September 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  13. ↑ "Team MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung receive wild card to 2015 Tour de France". 14 January 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  14. ↑ "Vuelta a Espana: Sbaragli wins stage 10 in Castellon". Cyclingnews.com. 31 August 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  15. ↑ Cycling News. "MTN ends Qhubeka team sponsorship". Cyclingnews.com.
  16. ↑ O'Shea, Sadhbh (25 September 2015). "Dimension Data named as new primary sponsor for MTN-Qhubeka". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  17. ↑ "Deloitte to sponsor MTN-Qhubeka in 2016". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. 28 September 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  18. ↑ O'Shea, Sadhbh (29 September 2015). "Mark Cavendish joins Team Dimension Data for 2016". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. Archived from the original on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  19. ↑ "Aldag links up with Cavendish at MTN-Qhubeka as performance manager". cyclingnews.com. 2 November 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  20. ↑ Windsor, Richard (18 November 2015). "Roger Hammond joins Dimension Data as sports director". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  21. ↑ "Dimension Data granted WorldTour licence". cyclingnews.com. 25 November 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
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