You can also read this article in English below.

Frans Claes zet zich samen met zijn Zwitserse vriendin Ariane Lüthi en Belgisch kampioene Alice Pirard in voor het goede doel. Ze roepen hun fans en collega’s op om de Zuid-Afrikaanse liefdadigheidsactie Songo.info te ondersteunen en zo Kayamandi, een gemeenschap vlak bij Stellenbosch, door deze coronavirus-pandemie te helpen. Iedereen met een fiets én wat motivatie kan deelnemen voor een donatie van slechts 20 euro. 

Elke deelnemer maakt kans op een gesigneerd wielershirt van niemand minder dan Mathieu Van der Poel. En wie in 1 maand de volledige 647km van de recent afgelaste Cape Epic weet af te leggen, maakt zelfs kans op een 7-daags verblijf in het Radisson Blu hotel in Andermatt, het hart van de Zwitserse Alpen. 

Op deze manier hopen Frans, Ariane en Alice vele fietsliefhebbers warm te maken en een kwetsbare gemeenschap zoals Kayamandi door deze donkere periode te loodsen. 

Meer info over Songo.info vind je hier: Songo.info

Hoe werkt het?

Stap 1: Zorg ervoor dat je een actieve Strava-account hebt. Aanmelden is snel en eenvoudig. Als je enkel binnen in huis kan fietsen, zorg er dan voor dat je indoor trainer de afstand meet die je aflegt en dat deze data naar Strava upload!

Stap 2: Doneer R200 / $20 / €20 / £20 / CHF20 hier: givengain.com. Gebruik je Strava-naam als referentie bij het uitvoeren van de betaling, op deze manier wordt jouw Strava-deelname goedgekeurd en bevestigd. Veelvouden van het donatiebedrag bezorgen je meerdere ’tickets’ waardoor je dus meer kans hebt om te winnen. 

Stap 3: Vraag om lid te worden van de EpicSolidarity Strava-groep. De Strava-challenge begint op vrijdag 10 april 2020.

Stap 4: Ga rijden! En volg Ariane Lüthi op facebook en instagram waar enkele bekende mensen allerhande vragen zullen beantwoorden. Kijk ook even op de Songo.info facebook pagina waar je kan zien hoe jouw donatie een wereld van verschil maakt in de Kayamandi-gemeenschap. 

Stap 5: De wedstrijd eindigt op zondag 10 mei 2020 (middernacht CET). De winnaars worden in de week van 11 mei 2020 uitgeloot.

Wat zijn de prijzen?

Prijs 1: 7-daags luxe verblijf in Andermatt in het hart van de Zwitserse Alpen

Alle deelnemers aan de #EpicSolidarity-uitdaging die de volledige 647 km afleggen, maken kans op het 7-daagse verblijf in het 4-sterren Radisson Blu Hotel in Andermatt. Deze prijs wordt gedoneerd door het immobiliënkantoor Andermatt Swiss Alps. 

Prijs 2: Gesigneerde Mathieu van der Poel-trui

Iedereen die namens het #EpicSolidarity-initiatief een donatie van R200 / $20 / €20 /  £20 / CHF 20 maakt aan het goede doel Songo.info, neemt deel aan een loting voor een gesigneerd wielershirt van Mathieu van der Poel. Deze prijs wordt aangeboden door fietsenfabrikant Canyon.

Bron: PM

Foto: Wim Vanderwegen

English version

Ariane Lüthi and Andermatt Swiss Alps to Raise Funds for Songo.info

Ariane Lüthi is calling on fans and fellow pros around the world to support the South African-based charity, Songo.info, as it provides support for the Kayamandi community during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Lüthi, a Swiss national and five-time winner of the Absa Cape Epic, bases herself in Stellenbosch, South Africa, in the Southern Hemisphere summer and has been a long-time supporter of Songo.info. Her new sponsors Andermatt Swiss Alps and Canyon bicycles have come to the party with two unique prizes for a cycling challenge hosted on the popular exercise app Strava. 

Lüthi hopes the mountain bike community will rally around this worthy cause as the township on the outskirts of Stellenbosch faces an uncertain future. Ariane is asking participants to ride the total distance of the recently-cancelled 2020 Cape Epic: 647km. Don’t worry, participants will have a full month to complete the distance, instead of the race’s eight days!

Songo.info is a cycling and education support programme focused on creating a long-term positive impact on the lives of the children of Kayamandi, Stellenbosch. It was established in 2008 by Swiss mountain bike World Champion and fellow five-time Epic winner Christoph Sauser. Click here for a quick look at what the 12-year-old charity does for the local community.

With the outbreak of the Coronavirus and the subsequent 21-day nationwide lockdown in South Africa, the Kayamandi community is extremely vulnerable. The South African economy is reeling and over the coming weeks and months it is expected that already modest incomes will dry up as local companies scale back operations and cut staff.

Songo.info has decided to shift its short-term focus from providing cycling activities and educational support for the children of Kayamandi to arranging for the families of its community to receive weekly meal packs through lockdown, and beyond if necessary. The charity has procured meal packs costing R200, which can feed a family of eight for a week, and will use the Songo.infoclubhouse as a distribution centre.

How does it all work?
Step 1: Make sure you have an active Strava account. Sign-up is quick and easy. If you’re on lockdown, make sure your indoor trainer measures distance and can upload this data to Strava!

Step 2: Make a donation of R200/$20/€20/£20/CHF20 here: givengain.com. Include your Strava username and #EpicSolidarity in the message/comments section when making payment so your Strava participation can be confirmed and approved. Multiples of the donation amount will earn more ’tickets’ into the lucky draw.

Step 3: Click here and ask to join the EpicSolidarity club on Strava. The Strava challenge will begin on Friday 10 April 2020.

Step 4: Get riding! And look out for Ariane’s instagram live interviews with guest stars to keep you motivated! Also check out Songo.info‘s facebook and radiss feeds as the charity supports the Kayamandi community with your help.

Step 5: The competition ends on Sunday 10 May 2020 (midnight CET). Winners of the lucky draw prizes will be drawn in the week of 11 May 2020.

*Drumroll* So, what are the prizes?
Prize 1: 7-day luxury holiday in Andermatt, the heart of the Swiss Alps.
All participants of the #EpicSolidarity challenge who make a donation andcomplete the full 647km will go into a draw for a 7-day stay at the 4-star Radisson Blu Hotel offered by real estate company Andermatt Swiss Alps.

Prize 2: Signed Mathieu van der Poel jersey.
Anyone making a R200/$20/€20/£20/CHF20 donation to the Songo.info charity on behalf of the #EpicSolidarity initiative, will go into a lucky draw for a signed jersey from young Dutch cycling superstar Mathieu van der Poel. MvdP is a multiple Cyclocross World Champion, Junior Road World Champion and multiple Mountain Bike World Cup winner. But you knew that! The jersey will be provided by Canyon bicycles.

Ariane will be interviewing a number of personalities who are connected to the Songo.info cause and for whom Stellenbosch, South Africa, holds a special place in their hearts. She hopes these social media stories will raise awareness of the charity, as well as the #EpicSolidarity fundraising drive.

Be safe. Be strong. Stay healthy. If you are asked to, please stay indoors.

ABOUT ANDERMATT SWISS ALPS
Andermatt is rated among the best resorts in the world for its incredible year-round lifestyle, first-class recreational facilities, significant tax incentives and attractive returns for investors. It’s also renowned for its spectacular road and mountain biking trails set among the striking snow-capped Alps.
Lüthi, a master’s graduate in sports science, will host a seven-day mountain biking breakaway to Andermatt in July this year to enable SA cyclists and potential investors to experience and train in this incredible location.
Toni Enderli, founder of Realtor of Excellence, said the association with Lüthi was a natural fit: “Ariane’s Swiss heritage, her love of South Africa, her skill and determination, and her incredible achievements, make her a natural ambassador for Andermatt which is simply an unmatched cycling destination. We wish Ariane the very best for the upcoming season.”
www.andermatt-swissalps.ch

ABOUT THE SPUR SCHOOLS MOUNTAIN BIKE LEAGUE
Spur Steak Ranches is South Africa’s favourite family restaurant franchise. The restaurant chain has a long history of supporting the communities in which it operates.
As a founding sponsor of the Spur Schools Mountain Bike League, Spur seeks to introduce more learners to bikes and encourage South African schools to adopt mountain biking as an official sport. With these simple aims, the Spur Schools Mountain Bike League has built a strong cross-country racing format over the past 11 years, with 4 or more events taking place in each province between April and September, culminating in a Spur Schools League National Final, hosted at the end of September. In 2019, over 19,300 entries to Spur League races were received across the country.
Ariane serves as an ambassador to the Spur League and takes joy in motivating young riders (especially young women) to improve their health and fitness and celebrate competitive camaraderie by participating in the League.
www.spurmtbleague.co.za

ABOUT VERTICE MEDTECH
For 2020 Ariane has partnered with Vertice MedTech, a scaled and diversified group of specialised medical service providers committed to bringing new, first-rate technologies to a wide spectrum of medical practitioners.
During her season Ariane will wear a newly-introduced and state-of-the-art screening device from Vertice Diagnostics, Vertice’s digital health division. The device is called a Holter ECG monitor which is continuously listening to Ariane’s heart rhythm throughout her season. Ariane’s ECG is analysed by artificial intelligence (AI), before a team of experienced clinical technologists at the Vertice Diagnostics Centre in Pretoria extracts a final report. Ariane can then discuss her report with her medical doctor to see if there are any anomalies in her heart rhythm during racing and/or her recovery at night.
www.verticemedtech.com