It has been a big week for MTN-Qhubeka (soon to be Dimension Data), with the announcement that Mark Cavendish had signed for them and that they had secured Dimension Data and Deloitte as sponsors. In fact, it has been a big year for the team but they’re hoping to go bigger and better in 2016 by stepping up to the WorldTour.
The team indicated to Cyclingnews at the Tour de France that they would be keen to apply for the WorldTour. The initial date to apply for WorldTour licences passed on August 1 but the team did not send off their application, as their finances were not in place. However, with two major sponsors on-board, they can finally look to moving into the top level of cycling. “We’d love to take that step next year. We have let the UCI know that we have an interest. At the end of the day it’s up to them and the licencing commission,” MTN-Qhubeka team principal Doug Ryder told Cyclingnews.
The UCI have history of allowing teams to make a late application for a WorldTour licence. For 2014, they did it with Europcar and this season they took IAM Cycling on late. With Europcar suffering a budget shortfall ahead of the 2015 season, and the merger of Cannondale and Garmin, this year saw only 17 teams receive WorldTour licences. Ryder hopes and believes that cycling’s governing body will be keen to fill that spot.
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The MTN-Qhubeka team has made a huge step forward this season, competing in two Grand Tours – including their first Tour de France – and all five of the monuments. “We are the highest ranked Pro Continental team and we know that there is a massive interest for the UCI to fill that 18th spot in the WorldTour because that’s how they’ve made their business on trying to make that happen,” said Ryder.
“Of course it would mean some investment in our logistical side but we are prepared for that and to look at that. We’ve done a lot of that already this year, we have a double infrastructure. We aim to give our riders both our programmes the same experience and the same support.”
The team have until October 1 to send off their paperwork and, after that, they have until October 20 to confirm riders who have enough ranking points to qualify. It won’t be until the first week of November that they would actually find out if their application is successful.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
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