The Tour de Luxembourg is the next event on the MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung racing calendar, with the 5 stage tour starting this Wednesday. The UCI 2.HC event is expected to attract a strong field once again and the African team are looking forward to the challenge that awaits. 

The race will start with a short and technical 2.6km prologue through the streets of Luxembourg town that will also include 2 sections of cobblestones. Riders then move on to the 4 road stages, none of which can be considered to be mountainous stages but all present numerous undulations which should make for exciting racing.

Traditionally the GC is decided by only a matter of seconds as either it is the late breakaways or tough uphill sprints that seem to dictate the outcome of each stage. MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung will have a team equipped for each possible outcome at the start line in Luxembourg.

Gerald Ciolek will lead the African team, coming off the back of a decent 6th place at the weekend's Velothon Berlin. Kristian Sbaragli, Youcef Reguigui and Andy Stauff are three more fast men that can be in contention for stage wins. Jay Thomson, Adrien Niyonshuti and Matt Brammeier complete the line up for the 5 day tour.

"Kristian will be coming into this race with some pretty good condition so I think we can possibly target a good GC result with him. The course will also suit a rider like Youcef so with both Kristian and Youcef we can aim high on the final classification. In my racing days I won the Tour of Luxembourg, so if I could do it, then anyone can," sports director Michel Cornelisse says.