ASSOS rides to rescue of pro cycling team

MyTriathlon clothing and sporting goods partner ASSOS has ridden to the rescue of one of the leading teams on the pro cycling circuit.

The NTT Pro Cycling team had faced an uncertain future, after its previous headline sponsor announced it was pulling out of supporting its riders’ World Tour race entries.

So for the 2021 and 2022 seasons, the South African-based team will race under the name of Team Qhubeka ASSOS. The team will continue to be an ambassador for the Qhubeka charity, which aims to foster a love of cycling among children in Third World countries.

Qhubeka uses learn-to-earn and work-to-earn programmes to distribute bikes to people who earn them, in turn improving their access to schools, clinics, and jobs.

Just a few days after the deal was revealed, the team also announced its line-up for the 2021 season, with Qhubeka ASSOS having to fill a number of gaps which arose when other riders departed in the wake of the loss of the earlier sponsorship deal.

But now, the team has bolstered its squad for Classic races and its pipeline of up-and-coming riders by signing Lukasz Wisnoiwski, Sean Bennett and Karel Vacek.

Wiśniowski, who joins from CCC Team, was second in the 2018 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad while riding for Team Sky. Bennett came through the Hagens Berman Axeon team in 2018 and finished the 2019 Giro d’Italia. Vacek is only 20 but beat Remco Evenepoel twice in 2018 when both were competing at junior level.

We look forward to following and reporting on the progress of Team Qhubeka ASSOS as it looks to forge a name for itself in the higher echelons of pro cycling over the next couple of years.