MTN-Qhubeka aims to make Tour history

Former Orica-GreenEDGE rider Daniel Teiklehaimanot headlines a stacked MTN-Qhubeka Tour de France team that aims to make history in more ways than one.

Daniel Teklehaimanot is hoping to add the Tour De France's polka dot jersey to the one he won at this year's Criterium du Dauphine (Getty) Source: Getty Images

The wildcard squad will be Africa's first ever Tour De France team, and looks set to animate the race with a combination of former Tour stage winners and rising stars.

Daniel Teiklehaimanot, fresh off winning the King of the Mountains jersey at the Critérium du Dauphiné, looks set to mount a challenge on the polka-dot jersey at the Tour, while former Sky rider and multiple Tour stage winner represents MTN-Qhubeka's best chance to sneak a stage win. Also in the mix are sprinter Tyler Farrar, another former Grand Tour stage winner, and up-and-coming climber Louis Mentjes.

Teiklehaimanot will be joined by fellow Eritean Merhawi Kudus, who at 21 is  likely to be the youngest rider in the race. Brit Steve Cummings, Serge Pauwels and South African brothers Jacques and Reinardt Janse van Rensburg make up the rest of the team.

Kudus and Teiklehaimanot will be the first Eriteans to ride the Tour de France, making a total of five African riders in the squad,

The team is hoping to use the Tour as a major platform to drive its #BicyclesChangeLives campaign to mobilise 5,000 African children with bicycles this July.

“The squad selected is perfect for the event this year, consisting of specialist climbers, classics type riders, time trial lists and riders that can spend hours riding in the breakaways going for stage wins," said team principal Doug Ryder.

MTN-Qhubeka for the Tour de France

Edvald Boasson Hagen, Steve Cummings, Tyler Farrar, Jacques Janse van Rensburg, Reinardt Janse van Rensburg, Merhawi Kudus, Louis Meintjes, Serge Pauwels, Daniel Teklehaimanot