Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka will be taking on the Qhubeka 5 000 challenge during stage 13 and 14 of the Tour De France (TdF) by riding to raise funds towards the #BicyclesChangeLives campaign.
The Qhubeka 5 000 is an international 48-hour interactive fundraising initiative by Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka. The team aims to get fans around the world to take part in this campaign during the TdF as part of its goal of funding 5 000 bicycles for greater access to education, healthcare and economic opportunity for people in Africa.
Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka will ride Stage 13 and 14 of the TdF as part of the Qhubeka 5 000. The team is inviting fans to join them in opening up the world with wheels for schoolchildren and entrepreneurs by choosing one of four routes, from 6km to 208km distance (or part of it), wherever they are.
Mark Cavendish, 26-time stage winner at the Tour de France and sprinter for Team Dimension Data encourages fans to get involved. “The Qhubeka 5 000 challenge is an incredible campaign to encourage any cycling fans to get involved and help make a difference by raising money for a brilliant cause,” he says. “Bicycles are changing lives for people in Africa. Help us to empower them.”
“The Tour the France is certainly one of the most challenging races in the world,” says Daniel Teklehaimanot, the first African to wear the King of the Mountain jersey at the Tour de France last year. “But it’s worth putting in all the effort, knowing that we do not only ride for ourselves, but also for the people in Africa who receive help through the #BicyclesChangeLives campaign. The Qhubeka 5 000 is a great way to get involved and to make an impact.”
How the Qhubeka 5 000 works
To coincide with the TdF, people can register to ride on 15 and 16 July, be it with friends on the road, in a spinning class or on an indoor trainer. The fee to participate is $10 (around R155), with all funds raised going towards funding 5 000 bicycles this year.
The Qhubeka 5 000 has four distances that you can choose from to ride wherever you are:
- Ride Lebo’s 6km route to school
- Ride Duncan’s 13km route to work
- Take on the team with the 37km stage 13 ITT TdF ride
- Take on the team with the 208km stage 14 TdF route
Alternatively, you can choose to ride your own distance.
The team is inviting participation from individuals, cycling clubs and corporates. Simply go to Qhubeka5000.org and pay your registration fee of $10 to participate. You will receive a digital race pack and be entered into a draw to win a once-in-lifetime opportunity to be part of Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka’s team training camp in Cape Town, South Africa in November 2016, for you and a partner.
“We get asked all the time by fans, friends and partners how they can get closer to the team and be a part of making an impact that matters,” comments Team Principal, Douglas Ryder. “The Qhubeka 5000 is that opportunity. Whether you are in the best shape of your life or hardly work out, you can experience what Lebo and Duncan need to go through to just get to school or work, and what Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka go through on two stages of the Tour de France.”
“Everything we do at Qhubeka is about helping people to move forward and progress through the power of bicycles. To be able to partner with Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka at the level of the Tour de France gives us the opportunity to share the difference a bicycle can make with an even wider audience,” says Qhubeka Executive Director, Sarah Phaweni. “Whether you choose to ride the equivalent distance of someone who walks or rides to work, or test yourself against a distance the professional team rides, we hope you come away from the experience appreciating the impact something as simple as a bicycle can have in an individual’s life.”
“At Dimension Data we’re passionate about making a difference,” says Marilyn Chaplin, Group People & Culture Executive at Dimension Data. “Through our partnership with Qhubeka, we’re looking to mobilise people with something most of us take for granted – the humble bicycle. The Qhubeka 5 000 event is a great opportunity for all our employees across the globe to give from the heart and contribute to this great initiative.”
“At Deloitte our global purpose is to ‘Make An Impact That Matters’. We are inspired by the Qhubeka initiative to change the lives of children through access to bicycles,” says Thiru Pillay, Managing Director of Deloitte Consulting. “This makes a huge impact on their education and quality of life. This is why we support Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka and why we believe that the Qhubeka 5 000 is such an important initiative to be a part of.”
Profits from your registration fee will go towards providing bicycles to people who work to earn them through Qhubeka programmes, giving them the tools to make their own path in life. If you are part of club or gym you are encouraged to create your own group rides on the 15 and 16 July.
You can register to participate in the Qhubeka 5000 from now until 16 July at Qhubeka5000.org.