Events

Introducing Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka: 2016 team line-up

By Press Office · 14 comments

As we enter the new year, we are delighted to introduce our African Team for 2016. Racing as the first ever UCI World Tour team from the African continent, our official team name is Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka.

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We are highly motivated to embark on this new journey, and to ride the unridden roads for African cycling, with the Qhubeka Charity as the motivation behind our mission. In Dimension Data, Deloitte, and Cervélo among all others we have passionate partners, incredible in their professionalism and dedicated in their support of our team.

There is much in store for the 2016 season, for the team, our partners, and our fans. We take on the new year with big and bold goals which include measuring our performance by the number of lives we will change through our ongoing support of our #BicyclesChangeLives campaign, with sporting goals for the Classics, the Grand Tours and some week-long stage races.

Douglas Ryder, Team Principal said: “2016 becomes our biggest step up in our team’s existence, the 1st division or WorldTour in cycling requires depth and consistency and I am confident that our riders and staff are ready for this incredible challenge. Most importantly we have been fortunate to receive support from the most incredible partners in so many areas and on so many levels on and off the bike. Our partners will help this team move forward successfully and ensure that the Qhubeka Charity remains at the forefront of everything we do as we continue to accelerate the ambitions of African cycling and make an impact that matters in the communities.”

ccs-62657-0-87579700-1451627222.jpgCameron Meyer
ccs-62657-0-75032200-1451627227.jpgMerhawi Kudus
ccs-62657-0-42794900-1451627234.jpgSongezo Jim

Brett Dawson, Dimension Data’s Group CEO said, “In the past 10 months since Dimension Data entered the world of professional cycling, ASO appointed us as its Official Technology Partner. Then in July, we became a sponsor of Team MTN-Qhubekasponsor p/b Samsung. Today, we‘re very excited to officially become the title partner of Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka. We’re looking forward to accelerating the Qhubeka Charity and the ambitions of this amazing team as we continue to support their iconic rise from being one of the five wild-card teams invited to ride at last year‘s Tour de France for the first time, to becoming the first team on the African continent to participate in the UCI World Tour this year.”

As Team Dimension Data we are excited to unveil our new look and rebranding with the most notable change coming in the form of our new team colours. Our online presence will also be found with the following new addresses and handles:

Website: africasteam.com
Facebook: @TeamDiData
Twitter: @TeamDiData
Instagram: @TeamDiData
YouTube: Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka
Hashtags: #TeamDimensionData; #AfricasTeam; #BicyclesChangeLives

Our complete 2016 squad comprises of 28 riders from 15 different nations with 13 riders
coming from the African continent. Here is our official 2016 team list:

Igor Anton (ESP)
Natnael Berhane (ERI)
Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR)
Theo Bos (NED)
Matthew Brammeier (IRL)
Mark Cavendish (GBR)
Stephen Cummings (GBR)
Mekseb Debesay (ERI)
Nicolas Dougall (RSA)
Bernhard Eisel (AUT)
Tyler Farrar (USA)
Omar Fraile (ESP)
Nathan Haas (AUS)
Jacques Janse van Rensburg (RSA)
Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (RSA)
Songezo Jim (RSA)
Merhawi Kudus (ERI)
Cameron Meyer (AUS)
Adrien Niyonshuti (RWA)
Serge Pauwels (BEL)
Youcef Reguigui (ALG)
Mark Renshaw (AUS)
Kristian Sbaragli (ITA)
Kanstantsin Siutsou (BLR)
Daniel Teklehaimanot (ERI)
Jay Thomson (RSA)
Johann van Zyl (RSA)
Jaco Venter (RSA)
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Comments

BeegMig
BeegMig

Jan 1, 2016, 10:21 AM

Tyler Farrar ? Again ?

Mntboy
Mntboy

Jan 1, 2016, 10:41 AM

Tyler Farrar ? Again ?

Hopefully starting to ease into retirement.

 

Otherwise I think this is a good squad. Some really good riders/racers in it. In particular Haas is a great addition and us keeping the African contingent mostly intact is great. Excited to see what 2016 has in store for Team Di Data for Qhubeka!

Ryno.
Ryno.

Jan 1, 2016, 11:14 AM

Oky I am glad they chose Cav from a exposure standpoint, but I feel Reinie needs to have a chance to go for the sprints instead of being a leadout man. The rest of the team looks fine, going to miss Main-cheeze though.

Eldron
Eldron

Jan 1, 2016, 11:38 AM

Tyler Farrar ? Again ?

Thankfully with Cav and train on board we won't have to waste races on Farrar trying to win sprints.

 

Farrar can be be the opener followed by Reinie and Renshaw. That should be a decent train!

rock
rock

Jan 1, 2016, 12:02 PM

 going to miss Main-cheeze though.

 

I see Samsung followed him to the Italians....

 

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raptor-22
raptor-22

Jan 1, 2016, 12:36 PM

The kit seems to have improved considerably!

Ryno.
Ryno.

Jan 1, 2016, 12:40 PM

I see Samsung followed him to the Italians....

 

nLg6IoWs.jpg

I would too!!
xcd
xcd

Jan 1, 2016, 3:18 PM

I heard this was the training kit and the white was the racing kit.

I must say this is better than the white kit,

FondyMig
FondyMig

Jan 4, 2016, 12:54 PM

The SAMSUNG sponsorship with Lampre is European based, not SA. 

They were already sponsoring Lampre last season. 

 

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Wez-O
Wez-O

Jan 4, 2016, 1:05 PM

All very exciting, except for the fact that there are even less South Africans than last season :(

Jaco-fiets
Jaco-fiets

Jan 4, 2016, 1:30 PM

All very exciting, except for the fact that there are even less South Africans than last season :(

Is it a priority for them to be known as an "African" team? Just wondering. I mean they can still be involved with a good cause even if they are not an "African" team.....

 

At the end of the day the best riders will have to get the contracts, African or not. I reckon they just play the "African team" card as long as they can because it carries some advertising weight (free extra tv coverage because shame, this is after all an African team). Next year there will be even less African riders and probably almost no SA riders. Would be great though if we can push through a good number of African (or SA) riders that make up a large nr of the team because they are the best available. I am not saying it is not the case now

xcd
xcd

Jan 4, 2016, 9:00 PM

All very exciting, except for the fact that there are even less South Africans than last season :(

Don't forget they now have a feeder team with a Continental License it is chosen from the 8 best under 23 talent in Africa with 4 SA riders. They will have the opportunity to prove themselves in Europe.

Danger Dassie
Danger Dassie

Jan 5, 2016, 5:38 PM

Is it a priority for them to be known as an "African" team? Just wondering. I mean they can still be involved with a good cause even if they are not an "African" team.....

 

At the end of the day the best riders will have to get the contracts, African or not. I reckon they just play the "African team" card as long as they can because it carries some advertising weight (free extra tv coverage because shame, this is after all an African team). Next year there will be even less African riders and probably almost no SA riders. Would be great though if we can push through a good number of African (or SA) riders that make up a large nr of the team because they are the best available. I am not saying it is not the case now

 

Their commitment is and always has been to identify and develop African talent, almost half the team riders are African. 12 out of 28, that's a pretty large portion and they're within a mentoring environment. 

Plus they have their feeder team and all the support staff which is also a mix of nationalities. 

 

It's a real priority for the team, not just good PR.

Patchelicious
Patchelicious

Jan 5, 2016, 6:40 PM

Don't forget they now have a feeder team with a Continental License it is chosen from the 8 best under 23 talent in Africa with 4 SA riders. They will have the opportunity to prove themselves in Europe.

This is a very good point. Maybe better for some youngsters to sit here and learn, straight jump to WT might be a bit much.

 

Anybody have a line up for the feeder team?

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