The first monument of the year, Milan-Sanremo, takes place this Saturday and MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung will be lining up at La Primavera with high hopes once again. 
 

With two past champions, Gerald Ciolek and Matt Goss, as part of the roster, the top step of the podium is the team'ss ultimate goal come Sunday. The team has also started to come into form at just the right time, Ciolek's 2nd place on Monday's Tirreno stage and Steve Cummings' overall 6th place at the Italian race has ensured a high morale ahead of the 295km classic.

Essentially the Milan-Sanremo was the event that put MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung on the world cycling radar after Ciolek's emphatic victory in 2013. Last year the German strongman was again in contention for the victory, eventually ending off his title defence with 9th place in the sprint finish. These good memories are not only a motivating factor for the riders but for all the staff as well.

This year, Ciolek and Goss both return to the roads of Milan-Sanremo with a powerhouse line-up of team members alongside them. Edvald Boasson Hagen, Reinardt Janse van Rensburg, Kristian Sbaragli, Serge Pauwels, Steve Cummings and Jaco Venter will be the other chargers on duty for MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung.

"I have enjoyed some good results at Milan-Sanremo winning the race two years ago and placing in the top 10 last March. This year we come back with a very strong team. We showed at Tirreno-Adriatico that we can play a lot of cards and we're definately looking forward to it. We want to perform well, also because we're trying to fund one bicycle per kilometer for the Qhubeka charity on Sunday," Ciolek said.