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Ride with Mark Cavendish and Team Dimension Data on Zwift

Train with Cavendish, Cummings, Boasson Hagen et al in the ‘world’s largest training camp’

Ever wanted to ride with Mark Cavendish? Here’s your chance – online, anyway. Zwift is to host a ‘Ride With Reason’ fundraising initiative, which will feature a week-long online training camp led by Cavendish’s Dimension Data team, alongside two other organised events with the aim of raising funds to cure ALS and provide bicycles to rural African schools.

The Team Dimension Data training camp is to run from 13-19 November, with 19 group rides and group workouts organised for all Zwift users. It’s become known as ‘the world’s largest training camp’, and will feature rides with Cavendish, Steve Cummings and Edvald Boasson Hagen among others as they set about getting the first miles in ahead of the 2018 Worldtour campaign.

The open-to-all training camp has been organised with the aim of raising funds for 500 Quebeka Bikes to be distributed throughout Africa. Donations can be made here, which in turn will unlock a Team Dimension Data fan kit and Qhubeka Bike for use in the virtual world of Zwift, with 100 per cent of the proceeds going to the charity.

Fancy training with Team Dimension Data? Zwift are hosting the “world’s largest [online] training camp”

The training camp will be preceded by a three-ride series on November 12, led by Lotto-Soudal rider Andre Greipel in support of research into ALS at Rostock University. Greipel’s mother currently suffers with the degenerative brain disease, and the 11-time Tour de France stage winner commented: “Obviously, this cause is close to my heart and I want to help anyone suffering from this terrible disease.”

Donations can be made on Greipel’s personal website, while there will also be training workouts led by fellow sprinter Marcel Kittel and breakaway artist Thomas de Gendt that will tailor towards their specialisms using Zwift’s group workout functionality.

Finally, the four-week schedule will conclude with the 24-hour Ride On for World Bicycle Relief event on December 2. Riders are able to ride as little or as much as they like, with the likes of Jens Voigt, Laurens Ten Dam, Lawson Craddock, Fumiyuki Beppu and Greg Henderson all lined up to take part.

Participants can donate, setup their own fundraising campaign, or join a fundraising team at zwift.com/ride-with-reason, where full event schedules can also be found.