Share

MTN-Qhubeka get Paris-Roubaix invite

Cape Town - Late on Wednesday afternoon the organisers of the Paris-Roubaix announced the eight wildcards for the Paris-Roubaix. Team MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung are delighted to have got the nod for the most iconic of Spring Classics. Along with the seven Pro-Continental wildcards, Team MTN-Qhubeka look forward to lining up with the 17 World Tour teams come April 12.

The Paris-Roubaix also has a special place in the hearts of all African cycling fans as for many years, it was only the Tour de France and Paris-Roubaix cycling events that were broadcast live in Africa. Aspiring African cyclists either grew up dreaming of racing Le Tour or "The Hell of the North". We are delighted that our fans will now, for the first time, be able to cheer on an African team during the Paris-Roubaix.

While an invitation to the race is a small victory in itself for the team, MTN-Qhubeka head to the Paris-Roubaix with intentions of a podium placing. In Edvald Boasson Hagen, the team have a rider capable of riding to victory on the Roubaix velodrome. The Norwegian has penned in Paris-Roubaix as his main goal for the season.

Douglas Ryder - Team Principal

I am speechless again which does not happen often, Paris Roubaix is the Queen of the Classics. It is like an action movie that builds up and calms down and builds again with huge drama where the super heroes can change around any corner. It will be another iconic experience for our team and we cannot wait to experience the 113th edition.

Edvald Boasson Hagen - Rider

I am happy we are in the race, the goal now is to do as well as possible and hopefully do better than I have done before. My goal generally, is to win Roubaix during my career so hopefully it comes this year.

Theo Bos - Rider

I have done the race twice, once was really good and once was not so good. 2010 was really nice, I worked for Thor Hushovd. He had a great result where he finished 2nd and I played a small part in that which was nice. I also finished in the top 60 myself. The next year I rode with Rabobank and that didn't go so well. I didn't have the power or legs to be in the front and I didn't finish. I am looking forward to redeeming myself a bit after that race. I have good memories with the Cervélo and the equipment which works really well at Roubaix. Also, it will be another really strong Norwegian that we will ride in support of so I am glad that we are officially part of the race now.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1818 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1778 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1084 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 461 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 187 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 254 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE