ENVE’s 2015 Tour de France with MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung
The 2015 Tour de France was special for ENVE as it marked the first time that our wheels have been used in competition at a grand tour.
MTN-Qhubeka has reported to us on several occasions throughout the season that riders and mechanics from other teams frequently comment about the good fortune they have to ride ENVE.
Here is why…
9 riders embarked on the 3,360 km edition of the Tour de France making for a rough total of 30,000 km (18,750 miles) of relentless racing on our Smart ENVE System wheels. Each wheel that started the Tour made it to the finish in excellent condition with the exception of two wheels that were damaged in crashes during the first week of the race. For ENVE the race was a huge success in terms of product performance.
A notable highlight for ENVE was Steve Cumming’s Stage 14 win aboard the SES 2.2 Tubular which launched to the public during the second week of the Tour.
MTN-Qhubeka’s First Tour de France
Team MTN-Qhubeka approached the Tour de France with the following goals.
- Wear a special jersey for 1 day (white, polka dot, green, yellow)
- Win a stage
- Raise awareness and fund 5000 bicycles for Qhubeka
- Be the most approachable team in the race
After the rain had dried on the tarmac of the Champs-Élysées, Team MTN-Qhubeka had not only exceeded their goals in full, but also had a major impact on the racing.
Here is a summary of their success:
- 1 x stage win on Mandela Day by Steve Cummings
- 4 x days in KOM jersey (Daniel Teklehaimanot took it on stage 6 and wore it until stage 10)
- 4 x best team on the stage
- 14 x top 10 finishes accomplished by 7 different riders – most of any team
- 9 x riders finished at least once in top 20 – only team to do this
- 5th best team overall – MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung is a Pro Continental Team and beat out 13 World Tour classified teams
- 17:19:20 – Time Serge Pauwels spent in breakaways – most of any rider at the Tour
- 13th overall on GC by Serge Pauwels
- Most approachable team as mentioned by several media outlets
Aside from the success achieved on the race course the team races to raise awareness for the Qhubeka Organization, a branch of World Bicycle Relief, whose mission is to provide bicycle mobility to Africans who desire to progress and drive economic development in their communities and nations.
To date the team has been credited with funding 3760 bikes for Qhubeka.
To support this cause and for an opportunity to win a limited edition MTN-Qhubeka Tour Replica Cervelo S5, check this out.
Images: Ashley and Jered Gruber | Ian Matteson
