Greig Leach

After surprising both Romain Bardet (AG2R) and Thibaut Pinot (FDJ), Stephen Cummings (MTN-Qhubeka) was able to charge down the runway above Mende to claim victory for his South African team on the National Mandela Day Holiday. MTN-Qhubeka came to the start today in Rodez with a new helmet. The team donned orange helmets to honor the man who had given so much of his life to end Apartheid and become the first President of the newly united country. Cummings' win today marks the first win for one of the Wildcard teams of the Tour de France. The Tour is comprise of the 18 ProTour teams and 4 teams that are given wildcard invitations by the race organizers. While teams like Bretagne-Seche and Cofidis are French teams that regular compete in the Tour, MTN-Qhubeka is making its first appearance in the Grand Bucle. It is always a great move to win a stage in one's first appearance to the most well know bike race in the world.