MTN-Qhubeka: UCI's 1st African Pro-Continental Team

['Dale]

http://futurpac.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/QhubekaMTN-WBRLogo1.jpg

 

From www.bicycling.co.za:

 

Serame Taukobong Chief Marketing Officer at MTN SA says, “As proud sponsors of Team MTN-Qhubeka, we are pleased to announce our pursuit of the African dream to get the first African cycling team, with predominately African riders to race in the Tour de France. This dream has the potential of unlocking vast opportunities for cycling in South Africa and in the entire continent.”

Read more here:

 

http://www.bicycling.co.za/news-people/news-news-people/first-african-team-aiming-for-tour-de-france/

 

 

:clap:

Edited December 1, 2012 by Puncheur

[pad man]

Would be great to see them in the tdf one day

['Dale]

Even cyclingnews has a report!

 

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mtn-qhubeka-aims-to-be-first-african-team-in-tour-de-france

[pista]

and another one

Even cyclingnews has a report!

 

http://www.cyclingne...-tour-de-france

 

And another one

 

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mtn-qhubeka-has-its-eye-on-the-tour-de-france?ns_campaign=news&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=cyclingnews&ns_linkname=0&ns_fee=0

['Dale]

Brilliant stuff.

 

:-)

['Dale]

Team Principal, Doug Ryder tweeted after the news:

 

Time for champagne @UCI_cycling annnounces @TeamMTNQhubeka receives a UCI Pro Continental license for 2013 Africa’s first UCI Pro Conti team

[Icycling]

I sure this added birthday presant Doug will enjoy - been his birthday week!

[hanoj]

This would be great for cycling around Africa.

[Capcha]

This would be great for cycling around Africa.

Say what? stuff Africa, they will use it throughout Europe. Thats the whole point to put their team against the best in Europe to get a all African team and sponsor to the TDF.

['Dale]

Lekka article about Songezo in cyclingnews:

 

http://cyclingnews.com/news/songezo-jim-living-his-dream-with-mtn-qhubeka

 

About to be based in Italy!

['Dale]

The cycling scene in South Africa was set to grow alongside its first Professional Continental team, MTN-Qhubeka, but UCI rules on sponsorship have prevented road races from being sanctioned by the sport's international governing body.

 

The Tour de Richelieu, a series of one-day races culminating in the South African road championships in February, were planned to be ranked UCI 1.2 and broadcast on television. However, there was one snag: Richelieu is a brandy made by the event's sponsor Distell, and the UCI rule 1.2.030 prohibits sponsorships which promote cigarettes, pornography, beverages with an alcohol-by-volume percentage over 15, "or any other products that might damage the image of the UCI or the sport of cycling in general".

 

:-(

 

READ MORE HERE

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-rules-hamper-south-african-race-series

['Dale]

From cyclingnews

 

 

Africa's first Professional Continental team, MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung will make its 2013 debut at next week's La Tropicale Amissa Bongo. One of the team's Eritreans, Meron Russom, took second overall in the race in Gabon in 2012 to Europcar's Anthony Charteau by only 8 seconds.

[HappyMartin]

This is such a great story. Very exciting. I cycled through Eritrea and was amazed at the number of people out on serious road bikes training on the bumpy roads in the pre dawn. I thought at the time something must come of it

[gummibear]

I see MTN-Qhubeka are riding the Tour of Luxembourg this year.

[gummibear]

Andreas Stauff

GeraldCiolek

Ignatas Konovalovas

Jaco Venter

Martin Reimer

Meron Russom

Jacques Janse van Rensburg

Sergio Pardilla

['Dale]

I see MTN-Qhubeka are riding the Tour of Luxembourg this year.

 

Brilliant!

 

I thought this thread died during the Hub meltdown a lil while ago.

Thanx for the resurrection, Gummibear.