After a strong showing in the Flanders Classics that have led up to “De Ronde”, Team Qhubeka ASSOS (www.TeamQhubeka.com) will take the start on Sunday with confidence and the determination to race from the front.
The Italian & European Champion, Giacomo Nizzolo, who has been in scintillating form of late (4th at Brugge-De Panne, 2nd Gent-Wevelgem and 15th at Dwars Door Vlaanderen) will once again headline our team but it is the strength in depth of our classics squad that will once again define our success on Sunday's race of attrition.
Victor Campenaerts, Dimitri Claeys, Michael Gogl, Emil Vinjebo, Max Walscheid & Lukasz Wisniowski will complete our lineup that takes on the Tour of Flanders.
We would like to extend our thanks to long-time Dimitri Claeys “fan” and team supporter, Arno Claeys for his assistance with announcing our team (https://bit.ly/3fCie9g) for the Tour of Flanders.
Michael Gogl
I am really looking forward to Sunday. It is (Tour of Flanders), in my opinion, the most amazing race on the calendar despite being one of the hardest. After some health trouble during the last few races, I finally feel back to being 100% again and am confident of being able to do a good race. The team also looks really ready, how we have raced in the last classics has been impressive, so we will go out there and do it together.
Dimitri Claeys
I had a really hard crash on Wednesday at Dwars Door Vlaanderen, but as a Belgian, the opportunity to race De Ronde van Vlaanderen is a very special occasion. Despite the discomfort I have, I will certainly be giving my 100% effort for the team on Sunday, and with some strong guys that are in-form, hopefully we can do a good race and achieve a top result.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Team Qhubeka ASSOS.
Media Contact:
Jean Smyth (Head of Communications)
Email: jean@ryder.co.za
Mobile: +27 63 4701 1710 or +31 625 739 033
About Team Qhubeka ASSOS:
Team Qhubeka ASSOS is a purpose-led, high-performance team, fighting to win on the world's biggest stage, to inspire hope and create opportunity. Founded in 2007, Team Qhubeka ASSOS (formerly NTT Pro Cycling) became the first-ever African cycling team to gain a UCI WorldTour license, in 2016.
We achieved our first major win in 2013 when Gerald Ciolek won Milan-San Remo, one of the five Monuments of cycling. We have competed in six Tour de France’s and notched up 7 stage wins, with Mark Cavendish wearing the coveted Yellow Jersey at the 2016 Tour de France.
We are a multicultural, diverse team with bases in South Africa, the Netherlands and Italy. There are 19 nationalities represented across our World Tour and continental feeder team rosters. Our focus on developing African cycling has resulted in more than 55 riders from the African continent be given the opportunity to race on the world stage, since the team's inception.
We race to help people to move forward with bicycles through our relationship with Qhubeka Charity. Through our work with Qhubeka, we have contributed to the distribution of over 30 000 bicycles in communities in South Africa.
About Qhubeka:
Qhubeka is a charity that moves people forward with bicycles. People earn bicycles through our programmes, improving their access to schools, clinics and jobs.
A bicycle is a tool that helps people to travel faster and further, and to carry more. In the face of extreme and persistent poverty, bicycles can change lives by helping to address socioeconomic challenges at the most basic level – helping people to get where they need to go.
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