By MTN-Qhubeka,
MTN-Qhubeka’s Team Principal Douglas Ryder today announced contract renewals for the following riders: Frekalsi Debesay, Meron Russom, Jani Tewelde, Tsgabu Grmay and Adrien Niyonshuti.
These five riders are current members of Team MTN-Qhubeka and fit in with the team’s dream of nurturing talent to find Africa’s first world champion.
“The cycling talent across the African Continent is incredible,” Ryder said. “Adrien Niyonshuti (Rwanda) who is now in his fourth year on Team MTN-Qhubeka has shown he is one of the best ultra-distance MTB riders finishing regularly on the podium in the MTN National MTB Series events in South Africa.
“Adrien will transition to the road next year full time, a discipline he is not unfamiliar with having ridden the 2009 Tour of Ireland and also the Tour de Langkawi this year. Tsgabu (Ethiopia), Meron, Jani and Frekalsi (all Eritrea), who joined in July this year, have shown quality and depth both locally in South Africa and in races across Africa and the world. Tsgabu was the winner of the U23 competition in the local Le Coq Sportif Cycle Tour, Meron was narrowly beaten by eight seconds in the Tour of Amissa Bongo in Gabon by Anthony Charteau of Europcar.
“Jani finished four times in the top 10 in bunch sprints in the Tour de Langkawi in Malaysia and was 2nd this weekend in the Amashova Classic and Frekalsi was part of the team’s success in the Volta a Portugal as well as finishing 3rd in a race in Belgium recently. I am delighted to continue with these talented riders into the future.”
Team MTN-Qhubeka 2013 roster so far:
Gerald Ciolek (GER), Ignatus Konovalovas (LTU), Sergio Pardilla (SPA), Jay Thomson (RSA), Louis Meintjes (RSA), Johann van Zyl (RSA), Andreas Stauff (GER), Youcef Reguigui (ALG), Kristian Sbaragli (ITA), Frekalsi Debesay (ERI), Tsgabu Grmay (ETH), Adrien Niyonshuti (RWA), Meron Russom (ERI), Jani Tewelde (ERI), Songezo Jim (RSA), Bradley Potgieter (RSA), Dennis van Niekerk (RSA), Jacques Janse van Rensburg (RSA), and Martin Wesemann (RSA).
(From Left to Right: Frekalsi Debesay, Jani Tewelde, and Meron Russom)
