Chris Froome joins Mel C, Olly Murs, Ryan Giggs and others in Zwift celebrity challenge
The four-time Tour de France winner will have to chase down his rivals in the unique charity race


Chris Froome may be most comfortable leading the Tour de France, but the British cycling star will have to step outside of his comfort zone for a new TV celebrity Zwift race.
The four-time Tour winner will be racing against celebrities likes Mel C, Olly Murs, and Ryan Giggs in a unique charity event this weekend, with the contest set to be broadcast on Sky Sports and YouTube.
Froome, who is hosting the event with former cricketer Kevin Pietersen and Zwift, will be setting off last in the pursuit-style race, as the star rider has to chase down the celebrities to win the event.
Team Ineos leader Froome and Pietersen are hosting the challenge, titled The Race: Wheels for Heroes, to raise money for charity as the pair aim to donate 1,000 bikes to NHS key workers.
Froome said: “Kevin actually made the suggestion to do a charity event on Zwift back in April, so I’m really glad we have managed to get this off the ground,” says Chris Froome. “Our NHS workers have been truly inspiring, but with travel restrictions, it’s still difficult for them to travel to and from their place of work. These new bikes will truly make a difference and provide a safe means for our NHS workers to travel safely during COVID-19.”
Celebrities featuring in the challenge include Andrew Flintoff, Lee Westwood, Maro Itoje, Steph Houghton, Darren Gough, and Kirsty Gallacher, while coverage will be hosted by Laura Woods, Romesh Ranganathan and Matt Stephens.
The race will be aired on Sky Sports Main Event, Arena and Mix as well as Zwift’s YouTube channel on Sunday (June 7) at 7.30pm.
Pietersen said: “I’m really happy that we’re in a position to be able to help our key workers during this tough period.
“As well as providing funds to donate 1,000 bikes via Wheels for Heroes, we’re also looking to provide some fun. We’ve got a great bunch of celebrities looking to beat Chris on Sunday. I’m looking forward to providing an upset.”
All the celebrity guests will connect to online platform Zwift and will race around the Volcano circuit.
Each rider will be gridded and will set off at intervals based on their fitness ability, having all completed an FTP test in advance of the race.
>>> Team Ineos riders set for Zwift race re-match this weekend
Zwift CEO Eric Min said: “I’m looking forward to watching the race and seeing how all these athletes compete on the bike.
“It’s been fantastic to see how many people have come together to use the platform to raise money for great causes and Wheels for Heroes is another example of a great cause our community is supporting.”
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
-
-
Fabio Jakobsen 'fairytale' keeps Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl flying high at Tour de France
Yves Lampaert might have lost the yellow jersey, but two wins in two days mean an almost-perfect Grand Départ
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Wout Van Aert into yellow on Tour de France stage two after 'boring' bridge
Belgian finishes second for 25th time, but this podium placing came with a bonus
By Adam Becket • Published
-
'I'm trying to get back to my old self again' — Chris Froome achieves his best result since 2019 horror crash
Chris Froome finished 11th at the Mercan Tour Classic Alpes-Maritimes on Tuesday, his best result for almost three years
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Chris Froome: Being competitive at Tour de France would be a 'dream scenario'
The Israel-Premier Tech rider on being back at his normal level, appreciating his past, and aiming to have form late into the season
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Chris Froome set for 2022 race debut in Italy
The four-time Tour de France winner will return to racing at the Coppi e Bartali next week
By Richard Windsor • Published
-
Chris Froome claims 'racing has become more dangerous' due to 'abundance of data'
The Israel-Premier Tech rider suggests cycling performance has drastically improved since he became a professional, but not necessarily for the best
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
Zwift becomes title sponsor of Paris-Roubaix Femmes
Online fitness platform builds on deal to sponsor inaugural Tour de France Femmes
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Chris Froome says time trials should be raced on road bikes to improve safety
The four-time Tour de France champion gives his thoughts in light of Egan Bernal's recent training crash
By Jonny Long • Published
-
50 riders have been confirmed to be taking part in the UCI E-Sport World Championships 2022
The event is set to take place in Zwift's New York after riders have qualified from their continental groups
By Tim Bonville-Ginn • Published
-
'We need to see results from him': Israel-Start Up Nation expect Chris Froome's form to improve as they target a place among the super-teams
The four-time Tour winner will have to prove his form if he wants to be on the startline of the 2022 edition
By Chris Marshall-Bell • Published