The ProTouch Continental team are set to debut at the Tropicale Amissa Bongo in Gabon today, the first of their scheduled UCI Africa Tour events this season.
The team last year gained Continental status in an attempt to “get South Africa back as the number one nation in Africa”.
The team will line up against four pro-Continental teams – Direct Energie, Androni Giocattoli, Vital Concept-B&B Hotels and Arkea-Samsic – as well as 10 African national teams.
The South African-based team comprises Pieter Seyffert, Reynard Butler, Songezo Jim, Mitchell Eliot, Jaydé Julius and Rohan du Plooy.
The ProTouch Continental team doing duty in Gabon (from left) Mitchell Eliot, Reynard Butler, Songezo Jim, Jayde Julius, Rohan du Plooy and Pieter Seyffert. Photo: Supplied
The team will be up against some tough opposition at the Gabonese tour, including defending champion and 2018 African cyclist of the year Joseph Areruya of Rwanda and the world-class Andre Greipel of Germany.
The 36-year-old Greipel has racked up 155 victories in his career, including 11 stages in the Tour de France, 10 in the Giro d’Italia and four in the Vuelta a Espana.
He rode for the Lotto Soudal WorldTour outfit last year, before linking up with Arkea-Samsic for 2019 and 2020.
African cycling icon and former Dimension Data WorldTour rider Daniel Teklehaimanot of Eritrea will also feature at the tour after an eight-year absence.
About 660 riders are set to take part in the seven-day race and ProTouch team principal Tony Harding said they were looking forward to the event.
“We are excited to be participating in the 2019 Tropicale Amissa Bongo alongside such big names,” Harding said.
“It will be our first 2.1 Africa Tour and a great learning opportunity for our riders to see the level of racing required to compete.”
South Africa last year ranked fourth in the Africa Tour behind Rwanda, Algeria and Eritrea, in third to first respectively, and Harding admitted there was “a lot of work to be done” to get the country back on top.
The team has already secured invitations to five Africa Tour races for the 2019 season.
