Deloitte to sponsor MTN-Qhubeka in 2016

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MTN-Qhubeka have added a second major sponsor to their line-up for next season with financial consultants Deloitte coming on board. The announcement comes days after they confirmed that Dimension Data would be the named sponsor next year.

"We are incredibly excited to have Deloitte become one of our main sponsors. Deloitte’s mission is to help their clients excel and has a purpose to make an impact that matters," said team principal Doug Ryder. "This is a perfect match for our team as we continue to ride to promote and develop cycling on the African continent and to support our #BicyclesChangeLives campaign through the Qhubeka charity."

Since telecoms company MTN announced their departure at the end of the Tour de France, Ryder has been trying to shore up their finances and recently travelled over to the United States. On Friday, they confirmed that the team would be known as Team Dimension Data in 2016, after the technology company stepped up as primary sponsor.

The African team, who made their Tour de France debut earlier this season, have been fairly quiet in the market place as they have looked to establish their funding. This latest news should signal a number of rider signings in the coming days and weeks.

Mark Cavendish has been heavily linked with a move to the team for next year along with Mark Renshaw and Bernhard Eisel, who are both out of contract. The team have expressed their interest in the sprinter but stated that they did not have the finances to take him and that he would need to bring on additional sponsorship for a deal to go through.

It’s not clear if this sponsorship deal will be sufficient to bring Cavendish on but it will certainly open the door a little wider.