Nick Dlamini and Carlos Barbero, currently with NTT Pro Cycling, have signed contract extensions that will keep them on the South African World Tour as Qhubeka Assos through 2021.

Team principal Doug Ryder announced earlier this month that the team has been saved for 2021 by clothing supplier Assos' increased commitment to the team following NTT's decision in September to withdraw as main sponsor after the 2020 season The team was able to Qhubeka, a charity that provides bicycles to children in Africa, will also return as the team's naming sponsor.

The team recently announced a contract extension with European road race champion Giacomo Nizzolo, as well as the signings of Simon Clark from EF Pro Cycling, Dimitri Claeys from Cofidis, and Kilian Franchigny from Groupama-FDJ.

Dlamini, a 25-year-old South African, comes from the team's feeder team, Dimension Data for Cubeca, and turned pro in 2018 with then World Tour-level Dimension Data.

However, late last year, while training in Table Mountain National Park outside Cape Town, Dlamini was stopped and attacked by park rangers who claimed he had not paid for a permit to ride in the park.

Dlamini returned to racing at the Vuelta a Burgos in Spain after the race was suspended due to a coronavirus outbreak and went on to compete in the Czech Tour, the World Championships road race, and the BinckBank Tour. in October, Dlamini completed the Vuelta a España last year, his He made his second Grand Tour appearance, but was forced to retire on stage 11 due to illness.

"It is a great relief to be able to rejoin as Team Qhubeka Assos, meaning that the African dream will live on," Dlamini said in a press release on Thursday. [Qhubeka is] part of our DNA and very close to us. Of course our focus is on winning, but it's also about providing bikes for kids.

"Doug has worked really hard to keep the team alive. Doug has worked really hard to keep the team alive."

Barbero joined the team for the 2020 season after three seasons with Movistar. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic this year, the 29-year-old Spanish rider was able to compete a full season, finishing sixth overall at the Tour of Saudi Arabia in February.

He also finished sixth in the one-day Memorial Pantani in August, and like Dlamini, Barbero participated in the season-ending Vuelta a España.

"I'm happy to be part of this great family," said Barbero. I've felt very comfortable in the team during this strange year, and I'm looking forward to the next one."

." I want to thank Doug for the great job he has done to keep the team alive in 2021. As a rider, this gives me a platform to continue to educate the world that "bicycles change lives," he said, referring to the Qhubeka organization, "so I can't wait to ride next season as Team Qhubeka Assos."

Team Principal Doug Ryder said, "Nick and Carlos, although their backgrounds could not be more different, embody the power of our team and the sport to bring people together. They are both exceptional talents and will be at the heart of our team for the upcoming season.

"We are very proud of Nick's continued growth. We've been supporting him since he first dreamed of becoming a professional rider. His progression through our Continental team to World Tour level status is a true testament to what we are as an organization." [However, 2020 is a very difficult year for everyone, and Nick lost the first quarter of it to injury. At 25, he's at a critical point in his career as a rider, and he knows he has to be a part of it, not just for himself, but for the team."

"Carlos joined us at the start of the season and immediately made a huge impact. Ryder said of Barbero. 'His personality off the bike is that he is a great team man and ambitious on the bike as well.'

"He had the misfortune of getting injured just before his "home race" this year, the Vuelta a Burgos, but I know he will meet the challenges that next season will bring head on.

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