Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka rider poised to strike for GC on final stage
After sprinting to victory yesterday, Edvald Boasson Hagen doubled up to win stage 4 of the Tour des Fjords today. Our Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka rider beat Torkhil Feyhe (ColoQuick-Cult) to the line and Andrea Pasqualon (Wanty Groupe Gobert) finished 3rd.

Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka started today’s stage with a clear plan to gain back time on the overall classification and this was evident as we controlled the peloton for the first 30km, not allowing a break to get away until after the bonus sprint. Boasson Hagen won the bonus sprint to gain 3 seconds on the overall classification and only then, was a 3 rider break allowed to go clear.

The break got up to a 7-minute lead before we committed our African Team to the chase. It was no surprise that no other teams wanted to help with the chase but our guys did a fantastic job to slowly reel in the escape over the 162km stage. Coming into the final, the peloton was split all over the final circuit, as we chased down the remaining breakaway rider with 5km to go.

With just 4km to go, Boasson Hagen was still 35-seconds behind the lead rider, Fehye. Our Norwegian Champion then took matters into his own hands with a powerful surge over the final kilometers and manged to catch Feyhe with just 200 meters to go, going straight by him to take the stage win. The peloton came home 3 seconds later, ensuring Boasson Hagen narrowed the gap to just 5 seconds from yellow jersey leader, Dries van Gestel (Sport Vlaanderen).

Edvald Boasson Hagen – Rider
It’s fantastic to take the victory again. The team was excellent all day and the guys worked really hard to pull the break back. At the end, nobody was willing to help us so I had to go. It worked out perfectly in the final. We also gained a few seconds on GC with the bonus seconds so there is still all to race for tomorrow. It will be a difficult day but the team is good so we will do our best.

Team Dimension Data For Qhubeka

Founded in 2007, Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka became the first ever African cycling team to gain a WorldTour license, in 2016. In the team’s palmares you can find a Milan-Sanremo victory, numerous stage wins at the Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana, two Tour of Britain GC victories, and 36 National Championships. The team has bases in South Africa, the Netherlands and Italy. It’s also known as Africa’s Team due to its focus on helping African talents to the world stage of cycling. The team races to raise funds for the Qhubeka Charity to change lives with bicycles in Africa. #DoYourPart and gift a bicycle or part of a bicycle, by clicking here.

Qhubeka is an Nguni word that means “to progress”, “to move forward”. Qhubeka (qhubeka.org) partners with communities, public sector, private sector, and non-profit organisations to provide people with bicycles in return for working to improve their community, environment or school attendance.

Dimension Data (dimensiondata.com) uses the power of technology to help organisations achieve great things in the digital era. As a member of the NTT Group, we accelerate our clients’ ambitions through digital infrastructure, hybrid cloud, workspaces for tomorrow, and cybersecurity. With a turnover of USD 7.5 billion, offices in 58 countries, and 31,000 employees, we deliver wherever our clients are, at every stage of their technology journey. We’re proud to be the Official Technology Partner of Amaury Sport Organisation, organiser of the Tour de France, and the title partner of the cycling team, Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka.

Learn more about the team at www.africasteam.com.

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