South African cycling team MTN-Qhubeka were given a fresh boost when they were handed tickets to three one-day classics in April to warm up for their debut Tour de France in July.
As with the Tour, MTN-Qhubeka have been given wild card entries to the Paris-Roubaix on April 12, the Fleche Wallonne April 22 and the Liege-Bastogne-Liege on April 26.
MTN will become the first African outfit to feature in the Tour de France.
The team boasts several top African cyclists, including Eritrean climber Natnael Berhane, as well as experienced Europeans such as Norwegian sprinter Edvald Boasson Hagen.
They will also take part in June's Criterium du Dauphine, which alongside the Tour of Switzerland, is one of the two main pre-Tour warm-up events. – AFP