The launching of our 2015 team kit has attracted a lot of attention over the last month and we have been pleasantly surprised at the response we have received. Comparisons have been made with world renowned sporting teams like the Juventus and Newcastle football clubs as well as to the Collingwood Australian rules football club, all of which are teams steeped in sporting tradition.
A number of fans have speculated on the teams thought process behind the design and in a series of ‘Behind the Stripes’ articles, we will reveal that exact process. After we released the first few images of our new kit, we caught up with three of the initial riders who modeled the kit and got their thoughts on the new strip.
Andy Stauff
I especially like the classic look of the jersey. With its black and white stripes Castelli is making use of a traditional design in the world of professional sport. At the same time the design also connects to a zebras coat and as such to Africa. In this regard it’s also really symbolizes our teams heritage and goals. That is quite nice.
Nicolas Dougall
For me the stripes symbolise being part of a team. A team that aims to be a positive vehicle for good in people’s lives. For me that’s not just the riders and staff but anyone who wears the jersey and supports Qhubeka. All our supporters should feel like they are as much a part of the team as we are and I hope to see many fans wearing their own MTN-Qhubeka stripes.
Every time I wear my stripes, I know that I’m helping to bring awareness to Qhubeka. Together as a team we are helping people and it makes me proud to pull on the stripes everyday, knowing I’m a part of something that is far greater than just riding my bike.
Songezo Jim
The stripes in our kit, I would say represent something like the zebra. We are an African team and if you have been to Africa then you should know there are a lot of zebras here. If a zebra is standing on its own it can easily be eaten by a lion, but if you have two or more zebras then to the lion, it appears as if there are many because the stripes confuse the lion. Now the lion will not attack the zebras. I think this strategy can apply to our team, if we stand together we can achieve a lot more.
