Tour de France #2: Cavendish sprints to 4th place

Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka showed off the team colors nicely on the first road stage of this year’s Tour de France. As expected, the day ended in a bunch sprint and here, Mark Cavendish proved to be back in shape as he finished in fourth place.

Early on today’s stage, the peloton let four riders get away to establish the obligatory early breakaway. Taylor Phinney (Cannondale-Drapac), Thomas Boudat (Direct Energie), Yoann Offredo (Wanty-Gobert) and Laurent Pichon (Fortuneo-Oscaro) quickly got a gap of three minutes on the pack. However, the teams of the sprinters made sure to keep the break within reach. Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka’s Jaco Venter put in an incredible effort, helping to set the pace for the majority of the day and as the riders took on the final 50 km, the gap was already down to under two minutes.

A huge crash occurred at the front of the peloton with 30 km left to go but luckily everybody was able to get back on the bike and continue. However, the momentarily hold-up in the pack meant that the breakaway suddenly gained momentum again. Even though only Phinney and Offredo remained at the front, the pack still struggled to reel in the duo. Only on the final kilometer of the stage, it all came back together again.

Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka did well to set up Cavendish and in the chaotic bunch sprint, the Manxman impressed by finishing in fourth place as Marcel Kittel (Quick Step Floors) took the win. Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) kept the yellow jersey, while Edvald Boasson Hagen is still the team’s best-placed rider in ninth position overall.

Team Dimension Data For Qhubeka

Founded in 2007, Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka became the first ever African cycling team to gain a WorldTour license, in 2016. In the team’s palmares you can find a Milan-Sanremo victory, numerous stage wins at the Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana, two Tour of Britain GC victories, and 36 National Championships. The team has bases in South Africa, the Netherlands and Italy. It’s also known as Africa’s Team due to its focus on helping African talents to the world stage of cycling. The team races to raise funds for the Qhubeka Charity to change lives with bicycles in Africa. #DoYourPart and gift a bicycle or part of a bicycle, by clicking here.

Qhubeka is an Nguni word that means “to progress”, “to move forward”. Qhubeka (qhubeka.org) partners with communities, public sector, private sector, and non-profit organisations to provide people with bicycles in return for working to improve their community, environment or school attendance. 

Dimension Data (dimensiondata.com) uses the power of technology to help organisations achieve great things in the digital era. As a member of the NTT Group, we accelerate our clients’ ambitions through digital infrastructure, hybrid cloud, workspaces for tomorrow, and cybersecurity. With a turnover of USD 7.5 billion, offices in 58 countries, and 31,000 employees, we deliver wherever our clients are, at every stage of their technology journey. We’re proud to be the Official Technology Partner of Amaury Sport Organisation, organiser of the Tour de France, and the title partner of the cycling team, Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka.

Learn more about the team at www.africasteam.com. 

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