MTN Qhubeka became the first African team to participate in a three-week event, this season. This formation targets now to be at the depart of its first Tour de France appearance. The staff is hoping to to become the first African team to take to the start line of the biggest race in the world. 

"The Tour de France is our next chapter", general manager, Brian Smith told Cycling Weekly. "It’s the big event in our sport and what we are going for. It will mean that the African team has landed. It’s been there or in the clouds for so long. If we get there it will be a landmark event."

Being one of the most active team at te transfer market, MTN Qhubeka emphasized their ambitions not only to join the World Tour ranks in the future, but to continue their mission of supporting a development of cycling in Africa.

"It’s even more important that Nelson Mandela Day falls on the 18th of July, during the Tour," Smith added, "which would be huge for our team if we are in the race. It’d be like the Vuelta team if we raced. We’d take a team of experienced Euro pros mixed in with Africans. Our team would include at least two black Africans."

During this winter, the team hired several experienced riders from WorldTour teams: Matt Goss (Orica-GreenEdge), Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (Giant-Shimano), Serge Pauwels (Omega Pharma-Quick Step), Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky Pro Cycling) and Steve Cummings (BMC Racing Team), Theo Bos (Belkin), Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Sharp).