By Gerald Imray / The Associated Press
CAPE TOWN, South Africa—The title sponsor of the African cycling team that made an impressive debut at the Tour de France said on Wednesday it was ending its agreement, citing the “normal business practice” of reviewing commercial agreements.
Despite praising the team’s “outstanding performance,” cell-phone network MTN said its partnership with South Africa-based MTN-Qhubeka had “reached its conclusion” and it wouldn’t be renewing.
The team “put on a fantastic display of power and athleticism at the Tour de France, and we are very proud of their achievements,” MTN group corporate affairs executive Chris Maroleng said in a statement. “Our partnership with the team has come full circle and we wish the team the absolute best in the future as we pass on the baton to the next sponsor.”
The announcement was a surprise after MTN-Qhubeka achieved a series of firsts at this month’s Tour, becoming the first African team in the Tour’s modern era and allowing two Eritreans riders to become the first from their country to ride at cycling’s top race.
The team also had meaningful results: One of the Eritreans, Daniel Teklehaimanot, became the first African to wear the polka dot jersey as leader of the mountains classification, and Stephen Cummings won a stage for the team, another piece of history for an African outfit.
MTN-Qhubeka finished fifth overall in the team classification after earning an invite to the Tour from organizers. Belgian Serge Pauwels was 10th overall in the mountains classification for MTN-Qhubeka and Merhawi Kudus, the other Eritrean on the team and the youngest rider at the Tour at 21, was 10th in the final standings for young riders.
MTN said it had invested $9.5 million in the team since it was founded in 2007, helping lift it from an outfit riding only in small African races to a professional continental team with bases in South Africa and Italy—and now with a history at the Tour de France.
Using its profile at the Tour, MTN-Qhubeka set itself a target of financing 5,000 bicycles for children in South Africa, where road racing is gaining in popularity, but can’t yet compete with the country’s main sports of soccer, rugby and cricket.
The nine-man team had five Africans on it, maintaining its promise of keeping the majority of its lineup from the continent. Three of the riders were from South Africa and two from Eritrea, the northeastern African nation with barely any cycling history.
The International Cycling Union (UCI), meanwhile, has suspended Italian team Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec from international races for 30 days after two riders tested positive for doping.
The UCI says the ban starts on August 1.
The second-tier team becomes the first to be suspended since the UCI’s team rule took effect in January. Teams can be barred from major races for up to 45 days for “two potential antidoping violations within the same team within a 12-month period.”
Two Italian riders with Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec tested positive for banned substances in June. Fabio Taborre tested positive for FG-4592, which stimulates production of endurance-boosting hormone EPO. Davide Appollonio tested positive for EPO.
As a second-tier team, Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec needs invitations to World Tour races. It was not invited to the Spanish Vuelta, which starts on August 22.
Tejay van Garderen will return to racing at the Vuelta a Espana after an illness forced the American cyclist out of the Tour de France with a podium finish in sight.
BMC Racing Team General Manager Jim Ochowicz said on Wednesday that van Garderen and Samuel Sanchez will headline his team at the season’s finale grand tour beginning on August 22.
It will be the first time van Garderen has started the Spanish race since 2010.
One of three American riders in this year’s Tour, van Garderen was third overall when he was forced to abandon in the final week.
His decision to race in Spain also means van Garderen will miss the USA Pro Challenge, a race he has won the past two years. That race in Colorado begins on August 17.
Image credits: AP