Schlagwort-Archive: Qhubeka Assos

Dlamini makes history as Team Qhubeka ASSOS name Tour de France line-up

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@Qhubeka

Dlamini becomes first black South African to compete at Tour de France
Dlamini, Bennett and Campenaerts all make first Tour de France starts
Aru, Henao, Clarke and Gogl add significant experience
Walscheid looks to flat stages and time trials
The spirit of Ubuntu – I am because we are – on show to the world

Johannesburg, 18 June 2021 – Team Qhubeka ASSOS continues to make history as we are thrilled to announce our eight-rider roster for the 2021 Tour de France which includes a debut for Nicholas Dlamini, who becomes the first black South African ever to compete at the showpiece event.
Team Qhubeka ASSOS, Africa’s UCI WorldTour team, will make its seventh appearance at the Tour de France having first competed in 2015 (MTN-Qhubeka). Over that period the team has won seven stages; and worn the yellow, green and polka dot jerseys respectively.

Dlamini’s selection is a landmark moment for the South African-registered team as he becomes the latest rider to progress from our development team and onto the UCI WorldTour, and subsequently earn his selection to compete at the world’s biggest cycling race.
The 25-year-old, who grew up in an informal settlement in Cape Town, first caught the eye as a runner before moving into cycling where his talents saw him move to the UCI’s World Cycling Centre Africa in Potchefstroom, South Africa. It is from here that he first earned a spot in our UCI Continental outfit – Team Qhubeka – based in Lucca, Italy.
In his second season with the continental team, Dlamini rode as a stagiaire on our WorldTour team and then turned professional in 2018. Since then he raced across the world, including twice competing at the Vuelta a Espana (2019 and 2020) and has worn the king of the mountains jersey at both the Tour Down Under and the Tour of Britain.
2020 saw his season heavily affected by an arm injury, as well as the broader impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the cycling calendar, but 2021 has seen Dlamini selected to represent Team South Africa at the Tokyo Olympic Games, and now being called up to our Tour de France squad.
Dlamini’s style of racing will likely see his talents deployed in the offensive strategy the team will look to pursue during the race, while also playing a key supporting role in the flatter stages.

Bennett (25) makes his Tour debut following on two previous Grand Tour starts at the Giro d’Italia, and having made his first start for our team at Etoile de Besseges in February. The Californian comes into the race having impressed with his aggressive racing and versatility in serving the team’s ambitions during the course of the race; and offers a perfect foil for the team’s strategic objectives.

Giro d’Italia stage-winner Victor Campenaerts also makes his Tour de France debut in 2021 and comes into the event in confident mood. The Belgian world hour record holder, who made a name for himself as a time triallist, has changed his approach in 2021 and scored a momentous victory in Gorizia a month ago.

Italian Grand Tour-winner Fabio Aru has steadily seen his form build during the course of 2021 and will bring an incredible amount of experience to our roster. After starting the year racing cyclo-cross, the Sardinian has racked up 33 races days, most recently completing the Criterium du Dauphine.
In 2017 he finished 5th overall as he won stage five and also wore the maillot jaune for a period. 2021 will mark his fourth start at the event.

Michael Gogl was the team’s standout rider at the 2020 Tour de France and his performances during the course of this year, punctuated by his sixth-place finish at Strade Bianche, sees him perform an integral role in our team. His position as a road captain, alongside Simon Clarke, is invaluable. This will be the 27-year-old’s fourth participation at the Tour de France, having first ridden in 2017.

Fellow road captain Simon Clarke starts the Tour de France for a sixth time, with three previous top-10 stage finishes. The 34-year-old rides his first Tour for Team Qhubeka ASSOS and starts his 15th Grand Tour in total. Clarke, whose father hails from Cape Town, will celebrate his birthday on the final stage in Paris, on Mandela Day.

Max Walscheid will ride his second Grand Tour of the year after an excellent performance at the Giro d’Italia. Two top-10 finishes in the two individual time trials in Italy saw the 1.99m German thrilled with the improvements he’s made in this discipline and with a number of opportunities on offer in the flatter stages he will be hopeful of causing an upset.
Our eight-rider line-up is completed with the inclusion of Colombia’s Sergio Henao. The hugely experienced 33-year-old makes his fourth appearance at the Tour with a best performance of 12th overall in 2016, and his ability to play both a supporting role as well as take on the race for himself provides the team with some exciting options.
Throughout 2021 Team Qhubeka ASSOS has sought to do things in differently by asking our fans to announce our line-ups for the races. The response to this initiative has been incredible, and seen our supporters engage with the team in a completely unique way that’s further enriched their relationship with the team.

Our 2021 Tour de France team announcement is a special tribute to all of our fans and partners who together with us celebrate the true spirit of Ubuntu – I am because we are.

2021 Tour de France line-up [squad numbers]:

Simon Clarke – Australia [09]
Michael Gogl – Austria [07]
Victor Campenaerts – Belgium [55]
Max Walscheid – Germany [13]
Sean Bennett – USA [31]
Nic Dlamini – South Africa [17]
Sergio Henao – Colombia [10]
Fabio Aru – Italy [21]

Douglas Ryder – Team Principal

This year is an incredibly special one for us – for so many reasons – and now at the Tour de France we again will have the opportunity to showcase our unique purpose-driven team to the world.
Selection for a Tour de France team is always very difficult, and what we’ve seen again this year is riders across our squad put their hand up for selection. Our final roster is one that I know will do our team, partners and supporters proud in the true spirit of Ubuntu.
Riding your first ever Tour is such a special moment and I couldn’t be more delighted for Nic, Sean and Victor. We have huge amounts of experience in Fabio, Michael, Simon and Sergio while Max – together with Victor – shone at the Giro and will be looking to carry that confidence into this race.
For Nic, what a moment though; his story is simply an incredible one and for him to have earned this opportunity shows that dreams really do come true, and for the team to have provided that opportunity makes me incredibly proud.
He’s always been an individual that has stepped up and taken the opportunities that he’s fought for; and he does so again as he lines up at the start line in Brest on the sport’s biggest stage in front of the world. This will culminate in an incredible moment for him, South Africa and especially for our team.
His selection speaks to everything about what we’ve created and built with this team through providing hope, an opportunity and then ultimately the platform to be on the biggest stage of all, the Tour de France.
I know that the spirit coursing through the squad in the way we’ve performed this year will again be on show for the world to see, and I can’t wait for racing to get underway.

Bicycles Change Lives

Nicholas Dlamini
Being selected to ride in my first Tour de France is an absolute dream come true for me. It’s always been an absolute childhood dream for me and now that I’m about to live it makes it feel surreal.
I think it speaks to what the team is about, the Ubuntu spirit, and how we change people’s lives because it is honestly a very special moment: to come from a small township and then to go to the Tour de France.
Considering where I come from it would simply have been impossible for me to have the opportunity to ride at the Tour de France if it wasn’t for Team Qhubeka ASSOS. The platform that they’ve provided me, and other riders from Africa, to compete at the highest level in cycling has been critical.
I really hope that this will serve as a reference of hope and inspiration to many young South Africans, and people around the world, who have been working really hard to reach their dreams, my hope is that they take from this that anything is possible.
I want to race the tour to inspire more kids on Qhubeka bikes to follow in my footsteps and to experience the world like I have, for more kids in communities to put their hands up for bikes to work hard like I did, to dream big. I am living my dream.

Fabio Aru

I am incredibly excited to get my Tour de France campaign underway with Team Qhubeka ASSOS. Throughout the season, I’ve been working towards the race with my focus on being in the best possible condition for the start.
It’s a race that I love, and in 2021 will be one that I will approach with my teammates in the true spirit of Ubuntu. We’ve seen the way that the team has raced this year, and particularly at the Giro d’Italia, and we look forward to continuing in the same way.
We’ll look to race aggressively throughout and target stage victories, which I look forward to playing my part in by racing in a way that continues to shine a spotlight on our purpose as we changes lives with bicycles and the Qhubeka Charity.

Simon Clarke

It’s a great honour to be selected once again for the event which is the pinnacle of our sport, this time with a new team with amazing drive and pride.
The team raced with a special dynamic at the Giro which really made everyone sit up and take notice, and we intend to continue this at the Tour de France. Can’t wait to get cracking.

Michael Gogl

Of course I am extremely happy and motivated to go to the Tour de France. It will be my fourth Tour and with a strong motivated squad, with riders for every terrain, we will continue what worked out really well in the last period; that is to race aggressively and try to hunt stages as one team.
On top of that, riding for Team Qhubeka ASSOS in the biggest yearly sporting event fills me with pride and will most certainly push me even more to put the Qhubeka Charity firmly into the spotlight.

Max Walscheid

I am so incredibly proud to line up again for my second Tour de France with Team Qhubeka ASSOS.
I think I’ve had a great year so far but chances to go for myself were rare but still I’m happy have attained some good results but more so to have been part of great team results and achievements.
Now I am extremely thrilled to represent our team in the sprints and go for results on the biggest stage possible. We have a very versatile team and I’d like to be a key part in achieving results in the flat stages.

Victor Campenaerts

This year’s Tour de France will be my first and after the Giro I’m really eager to do my second Grand Tour of the year as we had a blast.
We achieved some big successes but also just had a really good time because we really are one team and we race in the spirit of Ubuntu – I am because we are. This makes it really nice to race, and especially to race a Grand Tour with this family.

Sean Bennett

This is an absolute dream come true and I can’t wait to get the race started. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the way that the team has raced in 2021 as it suits my approach on the bike perfectly. I think that together with the spirit in the group, and racing in that way, that we can continue to be successful.

Sergio Henao

It’s always exciting to be selected for the Tour de France, the most important race in the world. This is very special for me as a return to the Tour in new colours, new jersey and with a new team. We go into the race with high expectations after the good experiences the team has had during the course of the season – and most recently the Giro.
We have to fight for stages and of course maintain a good image of the team. Personally I’ve done some excellent, very hard, preparation at high altitude but have lacked a bit of racing rhythm situation but with confidence I’m sure that we’ll do everything for the team. I’m really looking forward to this month of summer coming up and I’m going to enjoy it a lot, working always as a collective, as a team.

Lars Michaelsen – Head Sports Director

With this team we go into the Tour de France without a specified GC contender and without any top-top-top sprinter but importantly with a group of riders who have a clear goal to take opportunities and play their part in the race.
How will that exactly unfold? Well it’s hard to tell, but if we divide the stages we have six sprint stages, 5-10 possibilities of breakaways, two individual time trials and four hilltop finishes where we’ll probably see the big GC riders going for it.
You can divide it in many ways but I choose to be optimistic in that we have these of somewhere between 5-10 stages where we will try to be represented in breakaways. In the sprints we will support Max Walscheid as well as we can, and look to take any and all opportunities on offer.

Our Ubuntu spririt – I am because we are – will be what carries us into this race and we can’t wait to get going.

Team Qhubeka ASSOS delivers fantastic team performance at Strade Bianche

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Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) won the 15th edition of Strade Bianche, taking a fine win ahead of Julien Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quickstep) and Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers).
Team Qhubeka ASSOS lined up for the 184km Strade Bianche, which also included 63km of gravel roads, motivated and prepared for the challenge that lay ahead.
Michael Gogl and Simon Clarke, our two protected riders of the day, were well looked after by their youthful teammates: Robert Power, Emil Vinjebo, Mauro Schmid, Karel Vacek and Bert-Jan Lindeman in the early part of the race.
Schmid was on the ball, following one of the first real moves of the day, which came on sector 7. By policing that move, Gogl, Clarke and Power were able to sit in the wheels as the peloton hit the race defining sector 8 of Monte Santa Maria.
Sector 8 lived up to its reputation, as the race broke to pieces over the 11km of white gravel road. Gogl showed he was on top form, being able to follow the best riders in the world, like Van der Poel, Alaphilippe and Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma).
Emerging from the dust of Santa Maria, Gogl was part of the select lead group of 7 riders with Clarke and Power in the first chase group, roughly 25″ adrift and with less than 45km to go.

There were a couple of attacks and counter attacks in the leading group, all of which Gogl was equal to, but the next significant split would come on the final gravel sector of the race. A powerful attack from Van der Poel saw the Dutch champion ride clear with Alaphilippe and Bernal in tow.
Gogl kept the pressure on in the chase together with Van Aert, Pidcock and Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates) but there was no catching the top 3 riders over the closing kilometers into Siena.
Van der Poel took a nice victory while Gogl was able to better his 9th place of last year, placing 6th at the line. Clarke was equally impressive, as one of the strongest riders in the main chase group and finished 8th with teammate and countryman Power making it a fantastic day for Team Qhubeka ASSOS by taking 12th place.
Michael Gogl
I have to say I felt really good all day and had fantastic support from the team. Everybody was just incredible, all the staff and my other teammates over the last few days, how we organised this race was perfect. I think we showed everyone that we are up there with the best, two guys in the top 10 and one just outside the top 10 so I think we can be very proud of this performance and I am very happy with today.
Simon Clarke
Super job from the team today. I am a little disappointed that I missed the final split on the Santa Maria section. Van der Poel nearly crashed, which caused us to both unclip. Unfortunately, I couldn’t follow him back to the front, as he did. I ended up in the split behind and just rode defensively with Michael in the front. I was best of the rest from that point. But super job from team, the young guys early on and then myself, Michael and Rob Power later on, it was just great. To gel so well, and be on top of every move, that does not happen so often. Also, a massive thanks to mechanics, we did not have one puncture all day and to not have a puncture at Strade is very rare. Our equipment was absolutely spot on, no crashes, no punctures, what more could you want.

Nizzolo & Pozzovivo lead Team Qhubeka ASSOS at UAE Tour

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The UCI World Tour gets underway this weekend with the UAE Tour taking place between 21-27 February. The Italian duo of Giacomo Nizzolo and Domenico Pozzovivo will lead Team Qhubeka ASSOS at the middle-east’s premier cycling race.

The UAE Tour will consist of 7 stages; four of which suit the sprinters, two summit finishes and an individual time trial. With something for every type of rider, and as the debut UCI World Tour race of the season, the 2021 UAE Tour has attracted arguably its strongest peloton ever.
Team Qhubeka ASSOS will have one of the race’s headline sprinters at the start, European and Italian Champion Giacomo Nizzolo, fresh off his victory at Clasica de Almeria this past weekend. Veteran climber, Domenico Pozzovivo will be taking aim at the two climbing stages and a strong overall GC result for Team Qhubeka ASSOS.

Support for our co-leaders will come in the form of Max Walscheid, Lasse Norman Hansen, Bert-Jan Lindeman, Harry Tanfield and Matteo Pelucchi.

Aart Vierhouten – Sport Director
At our first WT race in 2021 the UAE Tour, Team Qhubeka ASSOS has two goals;
To learn from each sprint stage, working on the right setup of our lead-out train for the benefit of our leader and sprinter Giacomo Nizzolo.

Besides the sprint stages we have also two stages which finish up a mountain, therefore we have our climber Domenico Pozzovivo. We will protect him during the flat stages and help him on his way towards the climbs to achieve a good result on the GC as well.

Giacomo Nizzolo
I am really looking forward to the UAE Tour, where the complete World Tour peloton will line up for the first time this year. It is an important race for our team, Team Qhubeka ASSOS, and a great opportunity for us to show our colours and our purpose to a global cycling audience.
We have some good feelings from the first races of the season already and I am feeling confident with the team around me here, so we look forward to some fast and exciting sprints in the desert.

Domenico Pozzovivo
I am looking forward to starting my season with Team Qhubeka Assos at the UAE Tour, where it will be a nice change to ride in a warm climate once again. The first race is always interesting to see how the legs will respond after a long period of training but for sure we will give 100% every day.
@Qhubeka Assos

Clasica de Almeria 2021

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Puebla de Vicár – Roquetas de Mar (183 km)

1 NIZZOLO, Giacomo (TEAM QHUBEKA ASSOS) 4:18:44
2 SENECHAL, Florian (DECEUNINCK – QUICK-STEP) 0:00:00
3 LAAS, Martin (BORA – HANSGROHE) 0:00:00
4 ABERASTURI, Jon (CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA) 0:00:00
5 DUPONT, Timothy (BINGOAL WB) 0:00:00
6 VAN POPPEL, Danny (INTERMARCHÉ – WANTY – GOBERT MATÉRI) 0:00:00
7 CULLAIGH, Gabriel (MOVISTAR TEAM) 0:00:00
8 THEUNS, Edward (TREK – SEGAFREDO) 0:00:00
9 SARREAU, Marc (AG2R CITROEN TEAM) 0:00:00
10 CIMA, Damiano (GAZPROM-RUSVELO) 0:00:00
11 CANOLA, Marco (GAZPROM-RUSVELO) 0:00:00
12 JANSEN, Amund G. (TEAM BIKEEXCHANGE) 0:00:00
13 MANZIN, Lorrenzo (TOTAL DIRECT ENERGIE) 0:00:00
14 WARLOP, Jordi (SPORT VLAANDEREN – BALOISE) 0:00:00
15 VAN LERBERGHE, Bert (DECEUNINCK – QUICK-STEP) 0:00:00

Martin Laas sprintet bei der Clásica de Almería auf den dritten Platz

Die 36. Auflage der Clásica de Almería führte über 183,3 Kilometer von Pueblo de Vicar nach Roquetas de Mar. Nachdem sich direkt nach dem Start eine Fluchtgruppe lösen könnte, wurde diese kurz darauf vom Hauptfeld wieder eingeholt. Auch ein zweiter Fluchtversuch einer vier Mann Spitzengruppe hatte bei mäßigem Wind entlang der andalusischen Küste nur wenig Erfolg, sodass ein geschlossenes Hauptfeld das Finale in Angriff nahm. Auf den gut 6 Kilometer langen Schlussrunden, welche zweimal zu absolvieren waren, positionierten sich die BORA-hansgrohe Fahrer geschlossen im vordersten Teil des Pelotons. Durch die hektische Fahrweise kam es immer wieder zu Stürzen. In einem davon wurde auch Jordi Meeus verwickelt, der sich einen tieferen Schnitt an der Hand zuzog, jedoch ohne schwerwiegende Verletzungen das Rennen beenden konnte. Durch eine geschlossen starke Teamleistung und gute Vorarbeit konnte Martin Laas den finalen Sprint in aussichtsreicher Position eröffnen und beim Sieg vom amtierenden Europameister Giacomo Nizzolo den 3. Platz sichern.

Reaktionen im Ziel
Mit einem 3.Platz im ersten Rennen der Saison kann ich ziemlich zufrieden sein. Eigentlich haben wir geplant den Sprint für Jordi zu fahren, der aber in einen Sturz verwickelt war bei welchem ich auch beinahe zu Fall gekommen wäre. Da er leider nicht mehr zurückkam stellten wir schnell auf mich um und das Team machte einen tollen Job, um mich vorne zu halten und in Position zu bringen. In der letzten Kurve hatte ich mit Nizzolo das perfekte Hinterrad wurde aber durch einen anderen Fahrer etwas aus der Ruhe gebracht und war leicht eingeklemmt. Dennoch fühlte ich mich immer noch stark genug um meinen Sprint durchzuziehen und konnte mir den 3.Platz sichern. – Martin Laas

Heute war das Glück sicher nicht immer auf unserer Seite, aber wir sind nicht unzufrieden. Anfangs haben wir geplant den Sprint für Jordi vorzubereiten. Leider war er 15 Kilometer vor dem Ziel in einen Sturz verwickelt und wir mussten sehr schnell auf Martin wechseln. Das Team arbeitete gut zusammen und hielt sich immer vorne auf, um Attacken kontern zu können und Martin in eine gute Position zu bringen. Leider haben wir durch zwei Defekte in den letzten Kilometern unsere starken Anfahrer Pösti und Bodi verloren, weshalb auch die Sprintvorbereitung nicht ideal lief. Dennoch konnte Martin einen starken Sprint fahren und sich den 3. Platz sichern.- Jean-Pierre Heydnderickx, Sportlicher Leiter
@BORA – hansgrohe

Giacomo Nizzolo won the Clasica de Almeria in a fantastic sprint finish finale, the first win of the season for the Italian & European Champion and Team Qhubeka ASSOS.

The 183km Clasica de Almeria took place today under a beautiful blue Spanish sky. A strong peloton of 154 riders set off from Pueblo de Vicar on an out, around and back route, finishing in Rocquetas de Mar.
Team Qhubeka ASSOS sent a strong line up to the Spanish UCI 1.Pro race, with Giacomo Nizzolo leading the 7-rider roster that also included Max Walscheid, Victor Campenaerts, Matteo Pelucchi, Carlos Barbero, Emil Vinjebo and Sean Bennett.
With most of the climbing taking place in the opening 100km, followed by a flatter final 80km, the race was expected to end in a bunch sprint. A few early breakaway attempts came to nothing, and it was a packed peloton racing into the final 50km, all together.
It was a nervy run in to the line and the fight for position resulted in numerous crashes, splitting and whittling down the peloton regularly. After protection from his teammates, Nizzolo made it to the final kilometer well placed but still with a fair bit to do in the technical finish.
The European Champion went around the outside in the final right hand bend and powered away from his challengers with a superior turn of speed. Florian Senechel (Deceuninck-Quickstep) would cross the line 2nd and Martin Laas (Bora-Hansgrohe) rounded out the podium.

Nizzolo’s win is his first of the 2021 cycling season and also the first for Team Qhubeka ASSOS!

Giacomo Nizzolo
I am really happy about today’s victory and the great job the team did today. From the start we tried to control the race, but the race was a bit strange, kind of on-and-off a few times because of the wind. The final was quite tricky but we managed to have a good position for the sprint, so I am really happy for the team and we look forward to the next one.

Douglas Ryder – Team Principal
I am so excited about winning today in Spain, just our third event of the year. We were on the podium in Besseges and our climbers were beginning to show themselves in Provence, and now our Italian and European Champion, Giacomo Nizzolo goes and wins in the south of Spain, in Almeria.
We had such a good training camp just outside Girona, bringing this team together under one culture of Ubuntu, I am because we are. It was such a cool thing to see, 27 riders of 16 different nationalities pulling together, so to win today was just, wow, an incredible performance and brilliant showing from the team there. Our first win as Team Qhubeka ASSOS is something special.
And we are delighted for Giacomo, to continue his incredible form from last season, we are so happy that he is part of Team Qhubeka ASSOS so the future is looking good.
@ Qhubeka Assos