Dimension Data

South Africa No. of riders: 27 Under 26: 8 Over 35: 3 Key stat: Edvald Boasson Hagen was responsible for 10 (40%) of the team’s 25 victories last season.

How was the off-season?

Mark Cavendish spent the off-season recuperating after a 2017 marred with injuries and illness, but Sod’s law dictated that just as he was on the mend, the team’s other talisman, Edvald Boasson Hagen, was struck with a malfunctioning gallbladder that will delay his preparations for the new season.

Biggest challenge

Since being issued with a Worldtour licence in 2016, the team has proven that they belong at this level, with multiple stage wins at the Tour de France the highlight of their several impressive achievements. If there’s a drawback to their success, it’s that they’ve relied largely on their star duo of Cavendish and Boasson Hagen to deliver results, while the team’s African core continue to develop without breaking the glass ceiling.

Take the fate of Daniel Teklehaimanot, the first black African to ride the Tour de France. Two years ago he made headlines by spending four days in the polka-dot jersey, but for 2018 he only just managed to land a contract at the last minute with Cofidis, having been let go by Dimension Data.

Man on the spot

Now 32 and with nearly a year between his last two wins, the four Tour de France stages Mark Cavendish is chasing to match Eddy Merckx’s all-time record still seems some way off. However, you only have to think back to 2016, when he bounced back from a similar rut to win four stages, to never write Cav off.

Ones to watch

Of the team’s African contingent hoping to make a breakthrough, Eritrean Merhawi Kudus and South African Nicholas Dlamini look particularly promising, while the re-signed Louis Meintjes is a young climber already capable of pushing for a Grand Tour podium. And we’d be remiss not to mention 36-year-old Brit Steve Cummings, a rider so relaxed he makes winning Tour de France stages look as simple as popping out to buy a pint of milk.