Team Qhubeka NextHash
{{short description|South African cycling team}}
{{About|the former UCI WorldTeam which disbanded in 2021|its UCI Continental-level development team|Team Qhubeka}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox cycling team
| name = Team Qhubeka NextHash
| image = Team_Qhubeka_Assos,_2021_Paris-Nice,_Stage_3.jpg
| caption = Team Qhubeka Assos riders at the 2021 Paris–Nice
| code = TQA
| registered = South Africa
| founded = {{start date|2007}}
| disbanded = {{end date|2021}}
| website = http://www.africasteam.com/
| generalmanager = Douglas Ryder
| teammanager = Lars Michaelsen
| discipline = Road cycling
| status = UCI Continental (2007–2012)
UCI Professional Continental (2013–2015)
UCI WorldTeam (2016–2021)
| bicycles = Trek (2007–2014)
Cervélo (2015–2018){{cite web |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/mtn-qhubeka-goes-newcastle-united-new-2015-kit-147068 |title=MTN-Qhubeka goes all Newcastle United with new 2015 kit |last1=Windsor |first1=Richard |date=28 November 2014 |website=Cycling Weekly|access-date=20 January 2015}}
BMC (2019–2021){{Cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/dimension-data-to-ride-bmc-bikes-from-2019/|title=Dimension Data to ride BMC bikes from 2019|website=www.cyclingnews.com|access-date=3 January 2019}}
| oldname = {{aligned table|cols=2|fullwidth=y|style=white-space:nowrap|col1style=font-weight:bold; padding-right:1em;
| 2007 | MTN
| 2008 | Team MTN
| 2009 | MTN Cycling
| 2010 | MTN–Energade
| 2011–2015 | MTN–Qhubeka
| 2016–2019 | Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka
| 2020 | NTT Pro Cycling
| 2021| Team Qhubeka NextHash
}}
| kitimage = 2021 Qhuebeka Assos.jpg
| current =
}}
Team Qhubeka ({{UCI code|TQA}}{{cite web|url=https://www.uci.org/road/teams/TeamDetail/15232/1001377/279|title=Team Qhubeka Assos|work=UCI.org|publisher=Union Cycliste Internationale|access-date=2 January 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210102171533/https://www.uci.org/road/teams/TeamDetail/15232/1001377/279|archive-date=2 January 2021}}) was a UCI WorldTeam based in South Africa. The team rode to raise awareness and funds for Qhubeka, a South African not-for-profit organisation. The team was founded in 2007 and was the first-ever African team to ride the Tour de France (2015).
History
= Foundation =
The team was founded in 2007, becoming a Continental Team in 2008. The team remained as a UCI Continental Team until the end of the 2012 season, with the team registering its interest for a Professional Continental licence for 2013 under the name MTN-Qhubeka. In November 2012, the team were registered as a Professional Continental team – Africa's first – by the Union Cycliste Internationale, for the 2013 season.
The team achieved their first major win in 2013 when Gerald Ciolek won Milan-San Remo, one of the 5 Monuments of cycling. The team received their first Grand Tour wildcard for the 2014 Vuelta a España.
In July 2014, the team announced that for the 2015 season they would be using Cervélo bikes with Brian Smith being appointed interim general manager. In August 2014, the team confirmed the signing of Edvald Boasson Hagen on a 2-year contract. In September 2014 the team announced they had signed Tyler Farrar and Matthew Goss for the 2015 season.
= First African Team in Tour de France =
On 14 January 2015, the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) announced the 22 teams that would participate in the 2015 Tour de France, with MTN-Qhubeka making history as the first African registered team to take part. Steve Cummings brought the team their first stage win of the Tour, stage 14 on Mandela Day. The team's second Grand Tour stage victory came the following month at the 2015 Vuelta a España, where Kristian Sbaragli won a reduced bunch sprint on stage 10.{{cite news|title=Vuelta a Espana: Sbaragli wins stage 10 in Castellon |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/vuelta-a-espana/stage-10/results/|access-date=31 August 2015|work=Cyclingnews.com|date=31 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107164739/http://www.cyclingnews.com/vuelta-a-espana/stage-10/results/|archive-date=7 November 2016|url-status=dead}}
Daniel Teklehaimanot made history in the 2015 Tour de France when he spent four days in the race's polka-dot jersey, becoming not only the first Eritrean but the first African to wear that jersey. The success brought him to the attention of the wider cycling world.
= Dimension Data as new sponsor =
In July 2015, MTN announced they would end their sponsorship of the team.{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mtn-ends-qhubeka-team-sponsorship/|title=MTN ends Qhubeka team sponsorship|author=Cycling News|work=Cyclingnews.com}} Two months later, Dimension Data was announced as the team's new primary sponsor. The new team name would be "Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka"; the change in name was intended to demonstrate that the team supported the Qhubeka bicycle charity rather than receiving sponsorship for them. The change came at the same time as rumours were circulating that Mark Cavendish and his lead-out man Mark Renshaw were about to sign with the team for the 2016 season.{{cite news|last1=O'Shea|first1=Sadhbh|title=Dimension Data named as new primary sponsor for MTN-Qhubeka|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/dimension-data-named-as-new-primary-sponsor-for-mtn-qhubeka/|access-date=25 September 2015|work=Cyclingnews.com|publisher=Immediate Media Company|date=25 September 2015}}{{cite web|title=About Qhubeka|url=http://qhubeka.org/2013/?page_id=30|website=Qhubeka.org|publisher=Qhubeka.org|access-date=3 July 2016}} Days later the team announced Deloitte had agreed to become a major sponsor of the team;{{cite news|title=Deloitte to sponsor MTN-Qhubeka in 2016|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/deloitte-to-sponsor-mtn-qhubeka-in-2016/|access-date=29 September 2015|work=Cyclingnews.com|publisher=Immediate Media Company|date=28 September 2015}} the very next day the signing of Cavendish and Renshaw – along with their former teammate Bernhard Eisel – was confirmed.{{cite news |last1=O'Shea |first1=Sadhbh |title=Mark Cavendish joins Team Dimension Data for 2016 |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mark-cavendish-joins-team-dimenson-data-for-2016/ |access-date=29 September 2015 |work=Cyclingnews.com |publisher=Immediate Media Company |date=29 September 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120233546/http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mark-cavendish-joins-team-dimenson-data-for-2016/ |archive-date=20 November 2015 }} In November 2015, the team announced that Rolf Aldag had been appointed as the team's Performance Manager with immediate effect, following Cavendish and Renshaw from {{UCI team code|EQS|2015}}.{{cite web |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/aldag-links-up-with-cavendish-at-mtn-qhubeka-as-performance-manager/ |title=Aldag links up with Cavendish at MTN-Qhubeka as performance manager |author= |date=2 November 2015 |website=cyclingnews.com|access-date=25 November 2015}} Later that month Roger Hammond announced that he would join the team as a sports director for 2016, combining the role with his current position as manager of the {{UCI team code|MGT|2015}} squad,{{cite web |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/roger-hammond-joins-dimension-data-as-sports-director-200347 |title=Roger Hammond joins Dimension Data as sports director |last1=Windsor |first1=Richard |date=18 November 2015 |website=Cycling Weekly |access-date=18 November 2015}} and it was confirmed that the team had been granted a UCI World Tour licence for the 2016 season, becoming the first African team to enter cycling's top division.{{cite web |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/dimension-data-granted-worldtour-licence/ |title=Dimension Data granted WorldTour licence|date=25 November 2015 |website=cyclingnews.com |access-date=25 November 2015}}
=Rebranding =
In 2020 the team was rebranded as "Team NTT", named for the holding company of Dimension Data.{{cite web |title=Dimension Data to rebrand as Team NTT for 2020|url=https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/tour-de-france/dimension-data-rebrand-team-ntt-2020-431505 |website=cyclingweekly.com |access-date=9 September 2019}} On 8 January 2020, the team announced that 1996 Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis, who had previously worked with {{UCI team code|CSC|2015}}.,{{cite web|date=8 January 2020|title=Bjarne Riis confirmed as manager and co-owner of NTT Team|url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bjarne-riis-confirmed-as-manager-and-co-owner-of-ntt-team/|access-date=9 January 2020|website=cyclingnews.com}} had acquired a third of the team's ownership and would serve as manager. On 11 November 2020, it was announced that Riis would leave NTT Pro Cycling.{{Cite web|last=Ballinger|first=Alex|date=11 November 2020|title=Bjarne Riis leaves NTT Pro Cycling after just one year as manager|url=https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/bjarne-riis-leaves-ntt-pro-cycling-after-just-one-year-as-manager-475528|access-date=19 November 2020|website=Cycling Weekly|language=en}} The team faced an uncertain future beyond 2020, as their main sponsor NTT confirmed to be leaving the team by the end of the year.{{Cite web|last=Benson|first=Daniel|date=18 November 2020|title=Assos help save Doug Ryder's WorldTour team|url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/assos-help-save-doug-ryders-worldtour-team/|access-date=19 November 2020|website=cyclingnews.com|language=en}} On 20 November 2020, Douglas Ryder announced that, from 2021, the team will move forward as "Qhubeka ASSOS".{{Cite web|last=Benson|first=Daniel|date=20 November 2020|title=NTT team confirmed to race on as Qhubeka Assos|url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/ntt-team-confirmed-to-race-on-as-qhubeka-assos/|access-date=20 November 2020|website=cyclingnews.com|language=en}} The team was further rebranded ahead of the 2021 Tour de France, after a five-year naming rights agreement was signed with the NextHash Group, becoming Team Qhubeka NextHash.{{cite news |date=24 June 2021 |title=Qhubeka NextHash unveil Burberry partnership and new kit for Tour de France |work=Cyclingnews.com |publisher=Future plc |url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/nexthash-joins-qhubeka-as-co-sponsor-ahead-of-tour-de-france/ |accessdate=24 June 2021}}
However, despite finding a sponsor mid-season again, the team faced financial problems. In December 2021, the UCI announced that the team would not receive a UCI WorldTour license for 2022.{{cite web|url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-refuses-qhubeka-nexthash-a-worldtour-licence-for-2022/|title=UCI refuses Qhubeka NextHash a WorldTour licence for 2022|first=Daniel|last=Benson|website=CyclingNews|publisher=Future plc|date=9 December 2021|access-date=5 February 2022}} The team then announced they would continue at the UCI Continental level with the development team ({{UCI team code|T4Q|2022}}) and hoped to return to the WorldTour in the future.{{cite web|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/article/2021/12/27/team-qhubeka-will-continue-not-2022-worldtour|title=Team Qhubeka will continue, but not in the 2022 WorldTour|website=Special Broadcasting Service|date=27 December 2021|access-date=5 February 2022}}
Team roster
{{Cycling squad start}}
{{Cycling squad rider|name=Sander Armée|nat=BEL|birthdate={{birth date and age2|df=yes|2021|12|31|1985|12|10}}}}
{{Cycling squad rider|name=Fabio Aru|nat=ITA|birthdate={{birth date and age2|df=yes|2021|12|31|1990|7|3}}}}
{{Cycling squad rider|name=Carlos Barbero|nat=ESP|birthdate={{birth date and age2|df=yes|2021|12|31|1991|4|29}}}}
{{Cycling squad rider|name=Sean Bennett|nat=USA|birthdate={{birth date and age2|df=yes|2021|12|31|1996|3|31}}}}
{{Cycling squad rider|name=Connor Brown|nat=NZL|birthdate={{birth date and age2|df=yes|2021|12|31|1998|8|6}}}}
{{Cycling squad rider|name=Victor Campenaerts|nat=BEL|birthdate={{birth date and age2|df=yes|2021|12|31|1991|10|28}}}}
{{Cycling squad rider|name=Dimitri Claeys|nat=BEL|birthdate={{birth date and age|df=yes|1987|6|18}}}}
{{Cycling squad rider|name=Simon Clarke|nat=AUS|birthdate={{birth date and age2|df=yes|2021|12|31|1986|7|18}}}}
{{Cycling squad rider|name=Nicholas Dlamini|nat=RSA|birthdate={{birth date and age2|df=yes|2021|12|31|1995|8|12}}}}
{{Cycling squad rider|name=Kilian Frankiny|nat=SUI|birthdate={{birth date and age2|df=yes|2021|12|31|1994|1|26}}}}
{{Cycling squad rider|name=Michael Gogl|nat=AUT|birthdate={{birth date and age2|df=yes|2021|12|31|1993|11|4}}}}
{{Cycling squad rider|name=Sergio Henao|nat=COL|birthdate={{birth date and age2|df=yes|2021|12|31|1987|12|10}}}}
{{Cycling squad rider|name=Reinardt Janse van Rensburg|nat=RSA|birthdate={{birth date and age2|df=yes|2021|12|31|1989|2|3}}}}
{{Cycling squad rider|name=Bert-Jan Lindeman|nat=NED|birthdate={{birth date and age2|df=yes|2021|12|31|1989|6|16}}}}
{{Cycling squad mid}}
{{Cycling squad rider|name=Giacomo Nizzolo|nat=ITA|birthdate={{birth date and age2|df=yes|2021|12|31|1989|1|30}}}}
{{Cycling squad rider|name=Lasse Norman Hansen|nat=DEN|birthdate={{birth date and age2|df=yes|2021|12|31|1992|2|11}}}}
{{Cycling squad rider|name=Matteo Pelucchi|nat=ITA|birthdate={{birth date and age2|df=yes|2021|12|31|1989|1|21}}}}
{{Cycling squad rider|name=Robert Power|nat=AUS|birthdate={{birth date and age2|df=yes|2021|12|31|1995|5|11}}}}
{{Cycling squad rider|name=Domenico Pozzovivo|nat=ITA|birthdate={{birth date and age2|df=yes|2021|12|31|1982|11|30}}}}
{{Cycling squad rider|name=Mauro Schmid|nat=SUI|birthdate={{birth date and age2|df=yes|2021|12|31|1999|12|4}}}}
{{Cycling squad rider|name=Andreas Stokbro|nat=DEN|birthdate={{birth date and age2|df=yes|2021|12|31|1997|4|8}}}}
{{Cycling squad rider|name=Dylan Sunderland|nat=AUS|birthdate={{birth date and age2|df=yes|2021|12|31|1996|2|26}}}}
{{Cycling squad rider|name=Harry Tanfield|nat=GBR|birthdate={{birth date and age2|df=yes|2021|12|31|1994|11|17}}}}
{{Cycling squad rider|name=Karel Vacek|nat=CZE|birthdate={{birth date and age2|df=yes|2021|12|31|2000|9|9}}}}
{{Cycling squad rider|name=Emil Vinjebo|nat=DEN|birthdate={{birth date and age2|df=yes|2021|12|31|1994|3|24}}}}
{{Cycling squad rider|name=Max Walscheid|nat=GER|birthdate={{birth date and age2|df=yes|2021|12|31|1993|6|13}}}}
{{Cycling squad rider|name=Łukasz Wiśniowski|nat=POL|birthdate={{birth date and age2|df=yes|2021|12|31|1991|12|7}}}}
{{Cycling squad end}}
Major wins
{{main|List of wins by Team MTN and its successors}}
National champions
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
;2010
:20px South Africa Road Race Christoff Van Heerden
:20px South Africa Time Trial Kevin Evans
:20px Rwanda Road Race Adrien Niyonshuti
;2011
:20px South Africa Time Trial, Daryl Impey
:20px Namibia Road Race, Lotto Petrus
:20px Namibia Time Trial, Lotto Petrus
:20px Rwanda Road Race, Adrien Niyonshuti
;2012
:20px South Africa Time Trial, Reinardt Janse van Rensburg
:20px Rwanda Road Race Adrien Niyonshuti
:20px Namibia Road Race, Lotto Petrus
:20px Namibia Time Trial, Lotto Petrus
;2013
:20px South Africa Road Race, Jay Thomson
:20px Lithuania Time Trial, Ignatas Konovalovas
:20px South Africa U23 Road Race, Louis Meintjes
:20px South Africa U23 Time Trial, Louis Meintjes
;2014
:20px South Africa Road Race, Louis Meintjes
:20px South Africa U23 Road Race, Louis Meintjes
:20px South Africa U23 Time Trial, Louis Meintjes
:20px Ethiopia Road Race, Tsgabu Grmay
:20px Ethiopia Time Trial, Tsgabu Grmay
;2015
:20px South Africa Road Race, Jacques Janse van Rensburg
:20px Norway Time Trial, Edvald Boasson Hagen
:20px Eritrea Time Trial, Daniel Teklehaimanot
:20px Eritrea Road Race, Natnael Berhane
:20px Norway Road Race, Edvald Boasson Hagen
:20px Netherlands Track (Kilo), Theo Bos
:20px Netherlands Track (Individual sprint), Theo Bos
;2016
:20px South Africa Road Race, Jaco Venter
:20px World Track (Madison), Mark Cavendish
:20px Belarus Time Trial, Kanstantsin Siutsou
:20px Norway Time Trial, Edvald Boasson Hagen
:20px Eritrea Time Trial, Daniel Teklehaimanot
:20px Rwanda Time Trial, Adrien Niyonshuti
:20px Eritrea Road Race, Daniel Teklehaimanot
:20px Belarus Road Race, Kanstantsin Siutsou
:20px Norway Road Race, Edvald Boasson Hagen
;2017
:20px South Africa Road Race, Reinardt Janse van Rensburg
:20px Norway Time Trial, Edvald Boasson Hagen
:20px British Time Trial, Steve Cummings
:20px Eritrea Time Trial, Mekseb Debesay
:20px Rwanda Time Trial, Adrien Niyonshuti
:20px British Road Race, Steve Cummings
:20px Algeria Road Race, Youcef Reguigui
;2018
:20px Norway Time Trial, Edvald Boasson Hagen
:20px Eritrea Road Race, Merhawi Kudus
;2019
:20px Eritrea Time Trial, Amanuel Gebrezgabihier
:20px Africa Continental Time Trial, Ryan Gibbons
;2020
:20px South Africa Road Race, Ryan Gibbons
:20px Italian Road Race, Giacomo Nizzolo
:20px European Road Race, Giacomo Nizzolo
{{div col end}}
References
{{reflist|30em|refs=
{{cite news|ref=ProCo-licence2013#1 |url=http://www.uci.ch/Modules/ENews/ENewsDetails2011.asp?id=ODg5NA&MenuId=MTYzMjc&LangId=1&BackLink=%2Ftemplates%2FUCI%2FUCI8%2Flayout.asp%3FMenuId%3DMTYzMjc%26LangId%3D1 |title=Registration completed for three Professional Continental Teams |work=UCI.ch |publisher=Union Cycliste Internationale |date=28 November 2012 |access-date=2 December 2012 }}{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
}}
External links
- [https://teamqhubeka.com/ Official site]
{{commons category|NTT Pro Cycling}}
{{Team Qhubeka NextHash riders}}
{{Team Qhubeka NextHash seasons}}
{{UCI WorldTeams}}
Category:Cycling teams based in South Africa
Category:Cycling teams established in 2007
Category:Cycling teams disestablished in 2021
Category:Former UCI WorldTeams