Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka will take part in the Tour de Yorkshire which gets underway on Friday 29 April and concludes after 3 stages, on Sunday 1 May.

This year, it will be the 2nd edition of the Tour de Yorkshire and the African Team are happy to be returning to Yorkshire after being part of the inaugural edition of the event as well. It is a race the team really enjoyed, with great crowds and good racing over the 3 road stages.

On paper the route does not look too difficult, with each of the 3 road stages being moderately undulating. As was evident last year though, aggressive racing coupled with some testing weather conditions can make each stage seem like a mini spring classic. Taking the race on from the front will be key in achieving a top result.

Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka will send a team with a number of in-form riders capable of riding into a high position overall. Steve Cummings and Serge Pauwels showed throughout the Ardennes classics that they are going well and the duo will be key riders over the course of the weekend. Bernie Eisel, Mark Renshaw, Nathan Haas and Nic Dougall are all coming off the back of a good Tour of Croatia while Johann van Zyl and Mekseb Debesay also start for the African Team.

Eisel said:

"I am quite excited to race again in Yorkshire especially after taking part in the Tour de France when it started with 3 days in Yorkshire. I am really looking forward to the crowds again, they were crazy at the Tour.

"It's certainly going to be a hard race and at the moment I'm not in the greatest shape as I picked up a cold after the Tour of Croatia. I still hope I can recover by Friday for the first stage and be ready to race well. We have a strong group on the start line so let's see what we can bring home.

"Something else I am looking forward to is finishing the final stage in Middlesbrough, my brother raced the junior world championships there back in 89 I think it was so it a memorable place for my family."