Events

Tyler Farrar Joins Team MTN-Qhubeka

· By Press Office · 29 comments

Tyler Farrar has joined Team MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung for the 2015 cycling season. The American sprinter has spent his last 7 years with the current World Tour outfit, Garmin Sharp. Farrar is also part of a select group of riders in world cycling that has won a stage in each of the 3 grand tours. Farrar brings a tremendous amount of experience with him to Team MTN-Qhubeka as well as some pure speed and power that will fit directly into the team’s plans and goals for the 2015 cycling season.

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Farrar is one of the big names in world cycling and even bigger in the cycling circles of the United States of America. Team MTN-Qhubeka is delighted to welcome Tyler to Africa’s first ever professional continental cycling team.

Rider – Tyler Farrar

I am really excited and happy to be joining Team MTN-Qhubeka next year. This is a big change for me in my cycling career after having spent 7 years with my current team. I feel it is the perfect timing for me to move on though and Team MTN-Qhubeka is definitely the team that appealed to me the most.

Coming from America I understand how important it is to globalise the sport of cycling. The African continent is a huge untapped area when it comes to cycling, you just need to look at what Africa is doing in track and field to realise the potential. Team MTN-Qhubeka is leading the way for the African continent in that regard and so it is a project that I really want to be part of.

The team is building a strong group of riders that will win races next year and I look forward to being a part of that, as both a winner and support rider.

Team Principal – Douglas Ryder

Tyler Farrar is an incredible asset to Team MTN-Qhubeka, a stage winner in all 3 grand tours and prolific contender in the classics, his inclusion will help our team move forward and maintain our position in the upper echelons of World Cycling. Tyler is one of the most successful riders to come out of the United States of America. His inclusion helps globalize our team in support of developing cycling on the African continent through the Qhubeka foundation.

About MTN-Qhubeka

Team MTN-Qhubeka was founded in 2007, steadily working its way up from a regional team to now being a Continental Pro team with bases in South Africa and Italy. It is participating in its first Grand Tour the Vuelta a España at the moment. MTN-Qhubeka’s goal is to give talented African riders a path into the pro peloton while raising funds for the Qhubeka charity.

Qhubeka is an Nguni (Zulu, Xhosa) word that means “to carry on”, “to progress”, “to move forward”. Qhubeka (qhubeka.org) helps people move forward and progress by giving bicycles in return for work done to improve communities, the environment or academic results. Having a bicycle changes people’s lives by increasing the distance they can travel, what they can carry, where they can go and how fast they can get there. To contribute to the #BicyclesChangeLives Campaign, click here.

MTN (mtn.co.za) is a long time supporter of Qhubeka and the team. Launched in 1994, the MTN Group is a leading emerging market operator, connecting 210 million subscribers in 22 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Learn more about the team at www.teammtnqhubeka.com​

Comments

Eldron

Sep 9, 2014, 12:24 PM

Noooooooooooooooo.

 

Tyler "Impotent" Farrar on our team. Damnit - that's cash we won't have for a real rider.

 

Yeah. I'm not a big fan :-)

Andrew Steer

Sep 9, 2014, 12:28 PM

Noooooooooooooooo.

 

Tyler "Impotent" Farrar on our team. Damnit - that's cash we won't have for a real rider.

 

Yeah. I'm not a big fan :-)

I kind of agree, but he's got the potential to do very big things... maybe the team can get the best out of him? New leaf and all that :thumbup:
'Dale

Sep 9, 2014, 12:28 PM

Noooooooooooooooo.

 

Tyler "Impotent" Farrar on our team. Damnit - that's cash we won't have for a real rider.

 

Yeah. I'm not a big fan :-)

 

Echo echo

 

Aggenee

 

 

Not Tyler 'Crash Test Dummy' Farrar.

Hope, at least, he'll mentor a young sprinter within the team.

Grondpad

Sep 9, 2014, 12:31 PM

Nee man. Isnt it suppose to be an "African" team? I wonder what the ratio is between Africans and non-African? Anyone know?

jcza

Sep 9, 2014, 12:35 PM

Need the points to get into big races

shaper

Sep 9, 2014, 12:35 PM

Heard an unconfirmed rumor that MTN maybe pulling their sponsorship in the not to distant future... anyone else heard this?

hopefield

Sep 9, 2014, 12:37 PM

Nee man. Isnt it suppose to be an "African" team? I wonder what the ratio is between Africans and non-African? Anyone know?

 

I agree, I liked the team a lot better when they did not have all these big, overseas names. I guess you need some experience to guide the riders, but this is getting too much.

NotSoBigBen

Sep 9, 2014, 12:38 PM

Heard an unconfirmed rumor that MTN maybe pulling their sponsorship in the not to distant future... anyone else heard this?

 

Maybe you can't be retrenching 850 management staff and be seen to be sponsoring an international team :ph34r:

jcza

Sep 9, 2014, 12:48 PM

Also see that Linus Gerdeman will be leaving end of season.

Jay_B

Sep 9, 2014, 12:49 PM

Wait for COSATU or Parliment to get invloved about quotas just like they doing with the Rugby at the moment :ph34r: :whistling:

Jakkals.

Sep 9, 2014, 1:01 PM

Tyler will take the other riders out and EBH will lead out Gerald for the win.

Wez-O

Sep 9, 2014, 1:02 PM

I can't say I'm a fan of Farrar who is a bit of a whinger, but nevertheless I think its a good signing. The team are going to be potent in sprints as well as the Spring classics with this new lineup. Here's hoping they bolster their mountain goats for the 3 week tours.

Eldron

Sep 9, 2014, 1:11 PM

I guess I should give the man his due - he is 72nd in the World Tour...

 

Regarding the "africaness" of the team - gotta have the big names to get into the big races. Useless having an all african team but not cracking the nod to any big races.

Shebeen

Sep 9, 2014, 1:14 PM

Heard an unconfirmed rumor that MTN maybe pulling their sponsorship in the not to distant future... anyone else heard this?

What sort of numbers are involved?

MTN been in the cycling game for a long long time now, would be sorry to see them leave on the cusp of this really growing bigger.

kosmonooit

Sep 9, 2014, 1:19 PM

I saw an interview with Brain Smith (the new manager) he said the signings were also about the points needed to go big time.

rock

Sep 9, 2014, 1:27 PM

I fear this is heading for a barloworld-esque implosion.

 

Granted they haven't won that many races this year.

 

so they've added 1 new SA rider and whats it, 3 Euro's? Think Jim is also out....

rock

Sep 9, 2014, 1:29 PM

what's next - Hunter behind the wheel?

'Dale

Sep 9, 2014, 1:49 PM

I saw an interview with Brain Smith (the new manager) he said the signings were also about the points needed to go big time.

 

Okay

Understood

Very necessary to move forward and upward!

 

GO MTNQ!!

 

Andrew Steer

Sep 9, 2014, 1:53 PM

I really can't see MTN pulling the plug... the Qhubeka campaign is probably getting them more mileage than any of their other sponsorhips. Times are tough, but you still need to do marketing.

 

Farrar, EBH, Ciolek, Gerdeman - all riders who promised much, but then faded away. Ciolek bounced back with MTN at MSR, hopefully Farrar and EBH can do the same. EBH was the hottest property in world cycling just 4yrs ago... he'll also bring a huge Scandinavian fan base (as well as possibly English) to the team, and Farrar will do the same with the massive American market. For me they're pretty damn good (and astute) signings for what is still a fledgling team.

 

If Meintjies and some of the other talented African riders get to the Tour de France on the back of these signings - it will all be worth it :thumbup:

Chro Mo

Sep 9, 2014, 1:57 PM

Alonso? :ph34r:

 

Just kidding.

 

They will be a Pro-Tour team in a couple of seasons, and all pretense of an "African" team will be dropped. Don't be surprised if they become a Euro-registered squad like Barloworld - it's inevitable.

 

Pro Tour cycling is about exposure and revenue, not about building African cycling or giving Africans a means of transport.

 

MTN is an African company with zero footprint in the wider world. Essentially the team is a giant charity, that exists to generate awareness and social change etc etc. TV exposure in Europe barely benefits MTN in their actual base of operations. That's hardly a profitable business model - well, maybe for Douglas Ryder and a the team itself - but hardly for MTN.

 

Doesn't stop me rooting for them, though!

kosmonooit

Sep 9, 2014, 2:43 PM

Smithy was reflecting on just that Catch 22 quandry, to go big time, they had to get Euro / American riders but they are still defining themselves as an African team, with the charity aspect, which is great I think, After all Smithy is a Scott.

 

Further than that, all I can say is ..... Woza Impey

Eldron

Sep 9, 2014, 2:47 PM

Further than that, all I can say is ..... Woza Impey

 

Who can forget 10 Aussies trying to sing that to Daryl last year?

 

Impi! wo 'nans' impi iyeza

Obani bengathinta amabhubesi?

kosmonooit

Sep 9, 2014, 2:52 PM

why not the real thing

 

http://youtu.be/jNAxa-qNkvI

Frosty

Sep 9, 2014, 3:18 PM

Here's a brief explanation of the pending reforms in the peloton:

 

http://inrng.com/2014/03/uci-world-tour-reforms/

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