Team Dimension Data have welcomed three stagiares – Kent Main, Matteo Sobrero and Connor Swift – to be part of the team for the rest of the season.
As from August 1 the UCI made provision for three stagiares – under-23 or elite riders who have not raced professionally before – to join each WorldTour team.
Team Dimension Data have welcomed three stagiares – Kent Main, Matteo Sobrero and Connor Swift – to be part of the team for the rest of the season. Photo: Rob Ward
The stagiares, serving an apprenticeship role, will not participate in any WorldTour events but rather Continental races that the WorldTour outfit takes part in until December 31.
Both Sobrero, 21, from Italy, and Main, 22, from South Africa, joined the team from DiData’s Continental feeder side.
Current WorldTour riders Ryan Gibbons, Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier and Nicolas Dlamini were all teammates of the two at Continental level and they would look to follow in their footsteps, a statement said.
Swift, 22, the current British national road champion, however, came from team Madison Genesis.
“It’s great to see another two stagiaires step up from the DiData Qhubeka UCI Continental team,” team principal Douglas Ryder said.
“This team is improving year by year and we have an incredibly close relationship between our WorldTour team and Conti team, where they get to train with each other.
“We hope to continue to fast-track riders and give them opportunities to step up and succeed in the tough world of professional cycling.”
