On the eve of the Tour de France, South African side Qhubeka-Assos changed their name to Qhubeka-NextHash.
The WorldTour team, who only just managed to hold on to their status thanks to a last minute deal with cycling apparel company Assos, have agreed a long-term deal with digital finance company NextHash that brings with it a name change.
NextHash uses blockchain technology to allow people to easily access and trade cryptocurrency, so if they win any stages at the Tour expect an NFT or two to go on sale.
Ana Bencic, NextHash CEO, said, ‘As well as being a world class cycling team, Team Qhubeka NextHash has at its heart a social purpose that chimes perfectly with our own business. Using technology to enable communities is central to our mission at NextHash – we believe in making the digital, crypto and financial world accessible to all, across geographic and social boundaries.’
Team principal Doug Ryder said, ‘The whole sports industry is moving towards a digital universe and this long term partnership will help us innovate and develop new and interactive approaches to engage with our fans.’
Alongside this announcement, the team have also revealed they are partnering with luxury fashion brand Burberry, with a Thomas Burberry monogram featured on the Qhubeka-NextHash kit, including inside those reaching hands.
Burberry has also said it will be donating to the Qhubeka charity to help provide bicycles to students, healthcare workers and first responders in Africa.
Rod Manley, Burberry’s chief marketing officer, said, ‘We are delighted to be supportng Team Qhubeka NextHash, partnering with them as they compete in Tour de France and contributing to their charitable work.
‘We were inspired by their ethos of uniting a diversity of cultures and backgrounds to focus on high performance while having a meaningful positive impact on the communities around them. We will be cheering them on through every stage of the Tour and into the future, and we are so proud to be a part of their team.’
Assos will continue to support the team and still produce the team’s kit. For more information visit teamqhubeka.com