All things Team Qhubeka NextHash

['Dale]

Assos mentions in a CyclingNews article that there was no correspondence between themselves and Doug. Just picking up a stompie. 

The death of so much promise of a beautiful vision. 

['Dale]

Assos told Cyclingnews at the start of December that it was willing to stand by the team and provide financial assistance in 2022 if they secured a respectable title sponsor. Assos was unwilling to once again share title sponsorship rights with the team but the clothing brand admitted that it had held no recent communication with Ryder.

[tubed]

I am sad to see the team fold, which seems inevitable now.

I think DR should be applauded for what he has done and not be judged too harshly on the current demise, these are very tough times - to find millions of Euros is a very tall order.

Saffas are always going to have to bust down the door and take on the establishment in cycling, like we have seen with the travel bans - the Mandela aura has gone, its Euros looking after themselves first.

If we want to even get our foot in the door, then we need to do a Greg Minnaar or a Matt Beers and win fair and square - those two guys exemplify what is possible, give them a gap and they will show you what Saffa determination is.

I think its been a very good year for SA cycling just on those two performances alone. Similarly what John and Jeroen have done at UAE, Brent at BikeExch is testament to Saffa excellence via determination, sacrifice and hard work against the establishment. 

+ Alan Hatherly - hopefully it's his year next year too - he's through the door and mixing it - results to follow soon

Edited December 10, 2021 by tubed

[J Wakefield]

18 hours ago, DieselnDust said:

 

 

Some corrections above and also the South American presence has nothing to do with Movistar as many teams have been signing South American riders for years. It all started with Martin Cochise Rodriguez back in the 60's. He won the Vuelta de Colombia 4 times if memory serves. He was also the first South American to tackle the tour De France in 1975.

The first professional Columbian team was Varta - Cafe De Colombia - Mavic in 1985, a coffee company. Riders on this team were often viewed as climbing specialists. Guys like Luis 'Luco" Herrera and Fabio Para animated the mountain stages. It took another 35years before Egan Benal won the tour De France.

bare in mind the Colombian journey to this win, started way back then. The USA's first team into the TDF was Team 7Eleven back in 1986, although Greg Lemond had competed in the TDF since 1984 (then on Team Renault).  Lemond still holds the only USA winners titles and Discovery Channel was the first of only 4 USA team wins at the TDF.

South Africa has fielded Team BarlowWorld and then Qhuebeka in all its various gises. I think Robbie Hunter is the only SA winner of a stage on an SA team? Impey has won but for an Aussie Team?

The stats are against an African team from delivering. European sponsors are needed and they want European faces to sell their products, just like Colombian Sponsors wanted Colombian riders to be the face of their products but eventually also had to use European riders to to deliver the  faces that the European markets could identify with. The world has moved on a little since then but only just a little

Barloworld was British registered.

[Jewbacca]

The team isn't folding though is it? It's just not racing at pro tour level?

I was under the impression the conti team was still going to be operating?

[Shebeen]

18 hours ago, DieselnDust said:

 

 

Some corrections above and also the South American presence has nothing to do with Movistar as many teams have been signing South American riders for years. It all started with Martin Cochise Rodriguez back in the 60's. He won the Vuelta de Colombia 4 times if memory serves. He was also the first South American to tackle the tour De France in 1975.

The first professional Columbian team was Varta - Cafe De Colombia - Mavic in 1985, a coffee company. Riders on this team were often viewed as climbing specialists. Guys like Luis 'Luco" Herrera and Fabio Para animated the mountain stages. It took another 35years before Egan Benal won the tour De France.

bare in mind the Colombian journey to this win, started way back then. The USA's first team into the TDF was Team 7Eleven back in 1986, although Greg Lemond had competed in the TDF since 1984 (then on Team Renault).  Lemond still holds the only USA winners titles and Discovery Channel was the first of only 4 USA team wins at the TDF.

South Africa has fielded Team BarlowWorld and then Qhuebeka in all its various gises. I think Robbie Hunter is the only SA winner of a stage on an SA team? Impey has won but for an Aussie Team?

The stats are against an African team from delivering. European sponsors are needed and they want European faces to sell their products, just like Colombian Sponsors wanted Colombian riders to be the face of their products but eventually also had to use European riders to to deliver the  faces that the European markets could identify with. The world has moved on a little since then but only just a little

we could nitpick if you really want, but thanks for the fuller history lesson, and confirming it's been a much longer project.

Was it not obvious that by "spanish riders from south america" I meant spanish speaking?

You'll find many of the recent south american riders currently in the world tour first rode at that level through movistar/(previously casse d'epargne).

quintana/uran/carapaz/amador to name a few. obviously many who didn't too, but it's been a long pathway now. Gianni salvo found bernal(and Sosa) for instance and used to be PCT squad sponsored by chaves himself! check this 2012 squad https://www.procyclingstats.com/team/androni-giocattoli-venezuela-2012/overview/

 

so to answer the previous question, why does Africa need a WT team if SAmerica gets by just fine without one, broadly speaking there's a lot more history and some spanish speaking support all the way to the top. Ecuador and Eritrea are very different. Without an african team expect a lot less brown guys in the peleton. that sucks.

 

 

Edited December 10, 2021 by Shebeen

[shaper]

https://www.cyclingnews.com/amp/news/arkea-samsic-delight-in-worldtour-access-following-qhubeka-nexthash-demise/

[betaboy]

… at pro level it’s dog eat dog when it comes to sponsorship, so some smaller players can now get a chance to crack the big leagues, in the past this was a lot harder, so expect some riders to use these asa springboard to either attract more money or get stronger contracts. So bad news is hard to swallow but the flip side is it’s kinda good for the sport! Doug has done a Sterling job in lasting this long IMHO. 

[NotSoBigBen]

Just saw this on Twitter

'Qhubeka NextHash have told their staff and riders that they've stopped looking for a new title sponsor. WT team is officially over.'

[OVERDRIVE]

2 hours ago, NotSoBigBen said:

Just saw this on Twitter

'Qhubeka NextHash have told their staff and riders that they've stopped looking for a new title sponsor. WT team is officially over.'

Qhubeka NextHash end sponsorship hunt | Cyclingnews

Sad. 

[DieselnDust]

Yes it’s sad on so many fronts. The positive is that the pain is over. No more waiting around. Riders and team staff can now move forward to the next opportunity and with them all the learnings and experiences of the past 10years.

[Jewbacca]

Won't most of the staff just roll over into the pro conti team?

[Shebeen]

1 hour ago, Jewbacca said:

Won't most of the staff just roll over into the pro conti team?

Not pro conti, just vanilla conti.

 

I wonder how much nexthash actually paid, if at all. Might have put a spanner in the works. Always looked like vapourware.

[DieselnDust]

1 hour ago, Jewbacca said:

Won't most of the staff just roll over into the pro conti team?

Different groups of people 

[Shebeen]

Well that is that it seems. 

Does the thread move to conti team, or whatever Doug does next? He's done a lot for SA cycling over the years, don't think it will just end there.

 

 

Quite a few recent riders still hanging in the air really. Story of many https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/facing-unwanted-retirement-simon-clarke-is-fairly-high-up-the-creek-without-a-paddle-after-qhubeka-nexthashs-funding-failure

 

 

[Stevovo]

 

Wow! They could save Dougs team with their pocket change.