Steve Cummings joins seven African riders in MTN-Qhubeka's Vuelta a España squad

Tour de France stage winner Steve Cummings will ride his second Grand Tour of the year after being named in MTN-Qhubeka's Vuelta a España squad.

The African team have been handed a wildcard to the Spanish Tour and have included seven riders from their native continent, only one of whom rode the Tour.

South African climber Louis Meintjes joins Cummings as the returning riders having been forced to end his Tour early with a severe stomach illness.

Fellow South Africans Songezo Jim, Jaco Venter, Jay Robert Thomson and Johann van Zyl are also in the squad, as well as Youcef Reguigui (Algeria) and Natnael Berhane (Eritrea). Italian Kristian Sbaragli is the ninth rider in the squad for the three week race.

Cummings clinched MTN-Qhubeka's first Grand Tour win at the Tour with a storming victory on Mandela Day on stage 14.

With nine summit finishes and a number of lumpy stages throughout the Vuelta, MTN will be confident of adding to their win tally when the race kicks off on August 22.