Cycling: Mark Cavendish, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Daniel Teklehaimanot - illustrious names in cycling. Nevertheless, Team Dimension Data only managed to finish 18th and last place in the UCI WorldTour ranking this season. Not that bad if it would have resulted in more than three victories in WorldTour races. The results should be better next year. One newcomer in particular should ensure this: Louis Meintjes!
departures
Tyler Farrar (end of career)
Omar Fraile (Astana)
Nathan Haas (Katusha Alpecin)
Youcef Reguigui (Natura4ever Sovac)
Kristian Sbaragli (Israel Cycling Academy)
Adrien Niyonshuti
Daniel Teklehaimanot
Additions
Scott DaviesWiggins
Nickolas Dlamini (Dimension Data for Qhubeka)
Amanuel Gebreigzabhier (Dimension Data for Qhubeka)
Louis Meintjes (UAE Emirates)
Tom Jelte Slagter (Cannondale Drapac)
Julien Vermote (Quick Step)
Team 2018
ANTON Igor
BERHANE Natnael
BOASSON HAGEN Edvald
CAVENDISH Mark
CUMMING Stephen
DAVIES Scott
DEBESAY Mekseb
DLAMINI Nickolas
DOUGALL Nick
EISEL Bernhard
GEBREIGZABHIER Amanuel
GIBBONS Ryan
JANSE VAN RENSBURG Reinardt
JANSE VAN RENSBURG Jacques
KING Benjamin
KUDUS Merhawi
I THINK Louis
MORTON Lachlan
O'CONNOR Ben
PAUWELS Serge
RENSHAW Mark
SLAGTER Tom Jelte
THOMSON JayRobert
THWAITES Scott
VAN ZYL John
VENTER Jaco
VERMOTE Julien
Dimension Data again weakest team of the WorldTour
In 2017, the Dimension Data team ended up at the bottom of the UCI WorldTour team rankings by a relatively large margin. Despite this, the team has not deteriorated, because last year no team collected fewer points in the highest class of road cycling. However, this will not be particularly important to the sports directors, because the individual successes are much more important than the official ranking. In 2016, these were still correct – above all thanks to Mark Cavendish at the Tour de France. In 2017, however, there were no really big triumphs. Although Edvald Boasson Hagen could 19th stage of the Tour of France win, Omar Fraile the 11th stage of the Giro d'Italia and Mark Cavendish a part of the Abu Dhabi Tour, but further victories at WorldTour level are not to be found. Boasson Hagen dominated the Tour des Fjords and the Tour of Norway at home, but can that be the claim of a team from cycling's highest echelon?
Louis Meintjes is the big hope
The answer to the question just asked must be an unequivocal NO. With a license for the WorldTour, it would have been difficult for Dimension Data if another team had applied for it. After all, the team only benefits from the fact that only 18 teams have registered for 18 licenses. In defense, top sprinter Mark Cavendish has been injured or ill for most of the year. Nevertheless, a performance drop in the 32-year-old Brit was to be expected anyway. Is Dimension Data getting better in 2018? The transfers give at least some hope. With the exception of maybe Nathan Haas and Daniel Teklehaimanot, the departures don't weigh particularly heavily. But you could bring back a real top-class player. Louis Meintjes rejoins the team. The young classification driver should finish in the top 5 at the big state tours. Tom-Jelte Slagter can finish hilly classics at the front, Julien Vermote rather the flatter ones. In order for 2018 to actually be better for Dimension Data than the past two, Mark Cavendish and Edvald Boasson Hagen also have to shift up a gear.
Our latest film, King of the Mountains, is now available to watch online: https://t.co/TQ8ckQP16y
We went to Eritrea to find out a little more about their cycling success and we got to spend some time with these two legends, Dan T and Hullabay.
Incredible people in this country. pic.twitter.com/R8vFwHUhvs— James Walsh (@sinamatella_ZA) 18 December 2017
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