Hunt has announced a new partnership with Africa’s only WorldTour team. For the 2021 season, Hunt will be the wheelset supplier to Team Qhubeka Assos. Formerly known as MTN Qhubeka, Dimension Data, and most recently as NTT Pro Cycling, Doug Ryder’s Qhubeka philosophy has always been to use road racing, for unleashing the full potential of bicycles.
Hunt’s road product brand manager, Ollie Gray, recognizes Ryder’s vision as being a crucial decision point in its partnership.
“Beyond the program’s incredible racing success over the years, we were drawn to the core purpose of the team; promoting the Qhubeka organization’s mission to change lives through bicycles. To have the opportunity to partner with a team who exist to provide a tangible positive social impact, is humbling.”
Hunt is a brand that many consider as leading manufacturers of road bike wheels and gravel wheels, but the desire for continual improvement is a major motivator for this partnership, stating that the challenge of supplying a WorldTour team will give it excellent product feedback. The intensity and mileage that an elite riding team subjects its wheelsets to, is way more than any typical customer.
Hunt’s engineers will keenly heed input from the Team Qhubeka Assos riders, although it is clear that team director, Doug Ryder, has no doubt about the product quality.
“I am really excited about this partnership with Hunt wheels as they emerge into the WorldTour of cycling through our team. Their wheels have had excellent reviews and as a company they do everything they can to hunt for the best products to give us all the best riding experience possible.”
Under the name of Dimension Data, the team signed a bike sponsorship agreement with BMC which is due to run until the end of the 2021 season. With BMC's recently announced partnership with AG2R Citroën, it remains to be seen whether or not the African outfit will remain aboard BMC frames into next year.
