Edvald Boasson Hagen interviewed one day after being penalized for accepting a team bike from Sky after a mechanical and no team car in sight(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
South African road race champion Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (Team Dimension Data) heads to the startline of stage 3(Image credit: Josh Evans / Immediate Media)
Michael Valgren (Astana) wins(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Edvald Boasson Hagen and double Vuelta a España stage winner Ben King have signed contract renewals to stay with Dimension Data next season. The South African squad also announced on Monday that Reinardt Janse van Rensburg will remain on the roster in 2019.
Dimension Data have already announced a number of new arrival for the 2019 season. Marquee signing Michael Valgren will be joined by Roman Kreuziger, Danilo Wyss, Lars Bak and Rasmus Tiller on the squad next year. The team will ride on BMC bikes in 2019, with current supplier Cervélo set to provide bikes to Team Sunweb.
There is still no confirmation that Mark Cavendish will stay with the team. Last week he was diagnosed with the Epstein Barr virus and advised to take a period of total rest in order to fully recover.
King has been with the team since the start of last season and has enjoyed a fine 2018 campaign, culminating in his brace of stage victories in the opening week of the Vuelta a España. The former American champion won from the early break on the summit finish at Alfacar on stage 4 and repeated the feat atop La Covatilla on Sunday.
Boasson Hagen has signed on for a fifth year with Dimension Data, having joined the squad from Team Sky ahead of the 2015 season. The 31-year-old has won two races in 2018 but will part of a strengthened Classics unit next spring following the team’s acquisition of Michael Valgren from Astana. He is due to ride the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec on Friday and the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal on Sunday.
Janse van Rensburg missed the opening months of this season due to a recurring groin injury, and he did not race until the Tour of Norway in May. The South African has shown signs of form in recent weeks, placing seventh overall at the Deutschland Tour.
“I am extremely happy that Ben, Edvald and Reinardt will and want to continue into the future with Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka,” said team manager Doug Ryder.
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“This team tries to realise the dreams of the individuals in it and to see Ben win twice in the Vuelta and achieve his first World Tour victories of his career and what those wins mean to him and this team is magical.”
