The South African domestic racing scene reached its conclusion yesterday with the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge, the 2nd biggest mass participation cycling event in both South Africa and the world. The MTN-Qhubeka World Cycling Centre Africa Feeder Team would end off a great season with an emphatic victory at yesterday’s race as Till Drobisch held a late attack all the way to the line. It was a selfless performance by the entire team that ensured the victory though, a quality the team has shown throughout the season.
While the 2014 season may have reached its climax only one day ago, Team MTN-Qhubeka and the World Cycling Centre Africa have had its sights set on next season for quite some time now and are delighted to introduce you to the 2015 team and its plans for the new season. With 6 new young and talented riders, who have already racked up a number of national and continental titles joining the squad, the 2015 season looks to be an exciting and promising prospect.
JP van Zyl – Director World Cycling Centre Satellite Africa
We will have a two tier approach next year: The Feeder Team will have the young talents from South Africa and Africa ages 18-21 and a more mature group of basically 4-5 riders that we have earmarked to possibly join the professional peloton or ride as stagiaire’s with a European Professional squad. We have concentrated on taking young talented riders, to ensure they are nurtured and trained following the best guidelines. We will expose them to high level racing and training but track their recovery, ensuring they follow good recovery protocols with nutrition being the key factor.
The Feeder Team will work closely with the MTN-Qhubeka Pro Continental team in 2015. We are in the fortunate position to tap the knowledge from the Pro Continental staff like Dr. Carol Austin (Head of Performance), Dr. Rob Child (Nutrition) and Jens Zemke (Sport Director). By working in tandem with these experts our athletes are educated in the latest techniques of power training, micro nutrition, and will have insight into tactics, strategies and approaches the sport directors take when considering different one day races, classic races & grand tours etc.
We will also adapt our training considerably going forward. Having seen the demands and data from Dr. Carol Austin recently ( 2014 Season MTN-Qhubeka), we have to be training very goal specific and teach the Feeder Team rider to mentally prepare for and approach the season more strategically. We will concentrate on health issues with our African riders and ensure that all our Feeder Team riders also understand the importance of the Adams programme. It is important that the riders familiarise themselves now with the Adams programme so that they have a less stressful transition in their first season as a professional rider.
We want to give these young talented riders the tools to be self-sufficient and be able to adapt their training and mental approach as if they were already in the professional environment. We will also spend a period of 60-90 days in Europe and expose the Feeder Team as much as possible, to high level amateur and UCI category 2 races in 2015.
2015 MTN-Qhubeka World Cycling Centre Africa Feeder Team
Tesfom Okubamariam (ERI)
Metkel Eyob (ERI)
Meron Teshome (ERI)
Oliver Stapleton-Cotton (RSA)
Jayde Julius (RSA)
Gustav Basson (RSA)
Graeme Ockhuis (RSA)
Clint Hendricks (RSA)
Nicholas Dlamini (RSA)
Stefan De Bod (RSA)
Individual rider profiles are available here: 2015 Feeder Team.
Well done Ocki