Having announced a range of new additions to the team as it prepares to step up to the Pro Continental level, the South African MTN Qhubeka squad has today confirmed the re-signing of five of its current riders.
Songezo Jim, Bradley Potgieter, Dennis van Niekerk, Jacques Janse van Rensburg and Martin Wesemann have extended their contracts and will be part of the team as it moves up a level and continues a push towards what is hoped will be future Tour de France participation.
Van Rensberg is aiming to build on a season which saw him win the Tour of Eritrea and finish his first ever elite world championships.
“I am very proud to be part of Africa’s first ever professional team,” said the strong climber. “It has always been a dream of mine to race on the European pro circuit and maybe one day ride the Tour de France. It is so much more a dream come true to be able to do this as part of an African team.”
Songezo Jim is similarly psyched about the changes planned for 2013. “I am very excited about next year,” he said. “I don’t have words to describe the way I feel about achieving my life-long dream of becoming a professional cyclist. I am developing well within Team MTN-Qhubeka because we have great infrastructure and the best equipment in the world.
“I am looking forward to more international races next year as it doesn’t just grow you as a rider but as a person too.”
One who will be missing from the team lineup next year is the sprinter Arran Brown. He will however have a new role connected with the team, which will be clarified shortly.
Further contract renewals will also be announced soon.
According to Team Principal Douglas Ryder, moving the team up to the next level has always been the plan. “Over the last two years we have significantly increased the international racing program year on year for Team MTN-Qhubeka, in preparation for the jump to the Pro Continental level,” he explained.
“The riders bought into the hard work and increased racing stress, and we are very happy to continue building this into next year and beyond.”
The new riders coming on board include former world under 23 champion Gerald Ciolek, past Giro d’Italia stage winner Ignatus Konovalovas, Movistar’s Movistar rider Sergio Pardilla, who was eighteenth in this year’s Giro d’Italia, Tour of Portugal stage winner Jay Thomson, Louis Meintjes, Johann van Zyl, Andreas Stauff, Youcef Reguigui and Kristian Sbaragli.