Team MTN-Qhubeka first season as a Pro Continental team was given a major boost today when RCS Sport announced wild card entries for the team to Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-Sanremo.

The two races form part of the UCI WorldTour and will see the first ever professional team from Africa race against the top 18 teams in the world.

Gerald Ciolek, who will captain the team, made public his desire to ride these races a few weeks ago. After the announcement he said:

“I’ve been building the early part of my season around these two races. To have them confirmed for our team is great. People may have wondered why I signed for a Pro Continental team but I think people are starting to believe why this project is so special. I am looking forward to heading to Italy for these races.”

Tirreno-Adriatico takes place from 06.03.2013 – 12.03.13 while Milan-Sanremo happens on 17.03.13