Louis Meintjes will be returning to Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka in 2018, and there are huge plans for both team and rider. – By Andre Valentine

Team Dimension Data has confirmed that Louis Meintjes will be joining them for the 2018 season. Meintjes, who placed eighth in the GC at the 2017 Tour de France, rejoins the team he left in 2015, when they were still known as MTN Qhubeka.

Meintjes says the choice to come home was easy and that he is excited to be coming back, “Team Dimension Data stands out from other professional teams. They don’t only ride to win, but also for a more important cause – to mobilise people on bicycles in Africa.”

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Meintjes hopes that the experience he gained from his time at Lampre-Merida and UAE Team Emirates will help him to further contribute to the success of his new team, and was thankful to Team Principal Doug Ryder and the team saying, “together, we can take Africa’s team to the top step of the podium by 2020.”

Ryder has huge plans for the team with Meintjes back in the fold, “Louis was a part of our initial journey, and we are delighted to have him rejoin our team as we embark on the next part of our dream.” Ryder believes that Meintjes has the potential to win one of the World Tour stage races, galvanising the team’s statement that the signing accelerates their ambitions to take African cycling to the highest level.

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Ryder stated that one of the major goals for Team Dimension Data, with Meintjes back in the team, is to achieve a podium finish in the GC of one of the major grand tours.

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