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 The South African outfit were one of five teams handed wildcards
for the 73rd edition of the race to complement the 17 Union Cycliste
International (UCI) teams automatically selected.
MTN-Qhubeka, whose black and white striped kit resembles that of
Italian soccer club Juventus, are the largest professional
multi-discipline team on the African continent and made their Grand
Tour debut in last year's Vuelta.
Their rider list includes Eritrea's 24-year-old Natnael Berhane,
twice African champion, while several South Africans are also on the
roster.
The team, backed by South Korean electronics giant Samsung, helps to
promote the work of the Qhubeka project which has distributed
bicycles to children in rural African communities since 2004.
The UCI has also included the team in the starting list for the
Criterium du Dauphine.
German team Bora-Argon 18 and French outfits Bretagne-Seche
Environnement, Cofidis and Team Europcar have also received
wildcards for the Tour.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; editing by Ken Ferris)
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