South Africa
Africa’s UCI World Tour Representatives Team Dimension Data Ready for Tour de France
Africa’s UCI World Tour representatives team Dimension Data is ready for the 105th Tour de France challenge.
Africa’s UCI World Tour representatives team Dimension Data is ready to take the challenge for the 105th Tour de France that is scheduled to run between 7th and 29th July 2018.
The South African based team will be led by experienced British rider Mark Cavendish who has won 30 stages of the event and 48 stages across the globe Grand Tours.
The 33-year-old will be making his 12th appearance at the Tour de France and hopes to repeat his incredible 2016 run where he led team Dimension with four stage wins.
“I’m so excited to ride the Tour de France again in my career, for the third time in team Dimension Data,” Mark Cavendish opened up at the unveiling.
“The Tour de France is not only the biggest cycling event on the planet but it’s one of the biggest sporting events on the planet.”
“It’s the best platform to do our Charity Qhubeka; to get people in the rural parts of Africa on bicycles.”
“I’m excited to be part of a strong team and I’ll be looking to get to that record of (34) of Eddie Merckx,” he added.
He comes into the race after most recently featuring at the British Nationals and will be hoping to end what has been a season filled with bad luck and injuries.
Alongside Cavendish, the rest of team Dimension Data will be made up of seven other heavily decorated riders.
He will ride alongside experienced riders like Australian Marke Renshaw, who takes part of in the tour for the 10th time, Belgian Julien Vermote who has been part of the last three editions and the team’s 2017 stand-out performer Edvald Boasson who boasts with seven Tour de France appearances.
They took a risk including South African debutant Jay Thomson who will have to prove he has what it takes to compete at the world stage after dominating South African races this year.
FULL TEAM LINE-UP.
Mark Carvendish
Serge Pauwels
Tom-Jelte Slagter
Jay Thomson
Mark Renshow
Reinardt Janse van Rensburg
Edvald Boasson Hagen
Jullien Vermote
(Used Images from Getty Galleries)
