South African team MTN-Qhubeka made their first appearance in the Tour de France this year thanks to a wildcard entry. All we can say is we’re glad they made it!

The first week saw one of two Eritrean riders on the squad, Daniel Teklehaimanot, take control of the polka dot climber’s jersey with a gutsy performance on stage six, and he then held the jersey until the race hit the Pyrenees. Teklehaimanot was the first African to wear the maillot à pois rouge, and, in fact, the first African to wear a leader’s jersey at any Grand Tour – a moment we may very well look back on as a turning point in the sport of cycling.

MTN-Qhubeka’s real success story came on Mandela Day though – the anniversary of the South African president’s birthday, also known as stage 14 of the Tour de France. British rider Steve Cummings snatched himself a win (his first at the Tour) after getting into a breakaway, something team principal, Douglas Ryder, had insisted on at least one of his riders doing every day. The strategy clearly paid off, with Cummings fighting back from being dropped to outpace Thibaut Pinot and Romain Bardet on the final slopes of the Côte de la Croix Neuve. Besides being a special moment for the African team, it was a popular win for a popular British rider.