Reinardt focuses on ‘the big show’
by Mark Etheridge
2016-06-30 06:36:03.0
REINARDT Janse van Rensburg is a happy man after being named on Team Dimension Data’s final Tour de France lineup for the second year running.
The nine-strong team has been announced after being trimmed from 13 just over a week ago.
Team principal Doug Ryder said it was a tough decision to make.
"All of the riders on the squad have stepped up and shown their potential to be in the Tour de France. This is a fantastic team of experienced riders we are hoping can deliver on our performance goals of winning stages, being competitive and visible every day, and to raise our profile to even greater heights in the incredibly demanding stages."
The team features Janse van Rensburg as one of three African riders. He is the only South African in the squad. Last year Louis Meintjes and Jacques Janse van Rensburg rode their first tour.
Janse van Rensburg says he is fully focused on France. "I’m very happy to be selected for my second tour,’ he told Road to Rio 2016. It’s definitely the big show, which every rider wants to be part of, so it’s again a huge honour and privilege that the team showed confidence in me. I think I will be more relaxed this year, especially at the beginning. That will help to save energy which could be important."
And his expectations this year after the team won their first stage last year and also had Daniel Teklehaimanot wearing the polka-dot king of the mountains jersey in the early stages?
"My goal is to deliver the guys in the sprints for a victory and then to look for a stage myself. My form is good, I feel good on the bike and my weight is right on target," he said.
The two other African riders in this year’s team are Eritrea’s Teklehaimanot and Natnael Berhane. Other South Africans in action during the tour will be the Olympics-bound pair of Daryl Impey (Orica GreenEdge) and Meintjes (Lampre-Merida).
Road to Rio
Dimension Data line-up for the 103rd Tour de France: Natnael Berhane, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Mark Cavendish, Steve Cummings, Bernhard Eisel, Reinardt Janse van Rensburg, Serge Pauwels, Mark Renshaw, Daniel Teklehaimanot.
Reinardt Janse van Rensburg. Picture: BRYN LENNON/GETTY IMAGES
REINARDT Janse van Rensburg is a happy man after being named on Team Dimension Data’s final Tour de France lineup for the second year running.
The nine-strong team has been announced after being trimmed from 13 just over a week ago.
Team principal Doug Ryder said it was a tough decision to make.
"All of the riders on the squad have stepped up and shown their potential to be in the Tour de France. This is a fantastic team of experienced riders we are hoping can deliver on our performance goals of winning stages, being competitive and visible every day, and to raise our profile to even greater heights in the incredibly demanding stages."
The team features Janse van Rensburg as one of three African riders. He is the only South African in the squad. Last year Louis Meintjes and Jacques Janse van Rensburg rode their first tour.
Janse van Rensburg says he is fully focused on France. "I’m very happy to be selected for my second tour,’ he told Road to Rio 2016. It’s definitely the big show, which every rider wants to be part of, so it’s again a huge honour and privilege that the team showed confidence in me. I think I will be more relaxed this year, especially at the beginning. That will help to save energy which could be important."
And his expectations this year after the team won their first stage last year and also had Daniel Teklehaimanot wearing the polka-dot king of the mountains jersey in the early stages?
"My goal is to deliver the guys in the sprints for a victory and then to look for a stage myself. My form is good, I feel good on the bike and my weight is right on target," he said.
The two other African riders in this year’s team are Eritrea’s Teklehaimanot and Natnael Berhane. Other South Africans in action during the tour will be the Olympics-bound pair of Daryl Impey (Orica GreenEdge) and Meintjes (Lampre-Merida).
Road to Rio
Dimension Data line-up for the 103rd Tour de France: Natnael Berhane, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Mark Cavendish, Steve Cummings, Bernhard Eisel, Reinardt Janse van Rensburg, Serge Pauwels, Mark Renshaw, Daniel Teklehaimanot.
