Douglas Ryder, Team Qhubeka ASSOS founder and principal, has spoken candidly of just how close he came to seeing his dream of having Africa’s UCI WorldTour team competing at the highest level of the sport extinguished – as in late 2020 his prospects of finding a sponsor to secure its future looked over.
The first episode of the team’s podcast, ‘Unclipped’, sees Ryder talk in-depth about the fight to survive after staring down the barrel of extinction following the conclusion of the 2020 season.
Doug Ryder said “This team has a strong message and does some great things, so it was important for us to continue to exist and fight for what we believe in… The mobility of people and giving them hope, opportunity and of course to do significant things at the highest level of world cycling.”
The episode also sees Ryder reflect on the team’s purpose-led outlook in its endeavour to harness the power of sport for good, dealing with critics and also addresses the question of the team’s existence beyond 2021.
This content offering aims to further enhance the way in which supporters can engage with the team, offering unique insights and access in a way that hasn’t been widely available in the peloton before. Further episodes will come during the course of the season.
‘Unclipped with Team Qhubeka’ is available via all podcasting platforms including:
- Apple podcasts (https://apple.co/39GI88f)
- Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3w6H5I1)
- Omny (https://bit.ly/31t7XUv)
