Cast your mind back to some significant athletic event in your life. Whether it was the U/10 100m dash in primary school or your first Ironman, one of the key ingredients in keeping your own morale and energy high is having the support of a wife, mom, dad or close friend on the sideline cheering for you at the top of their voice. The boost in energy when you pass them, or just the dogged determination to not show your pain by walking past them, adds valuable seconds to your finishing time.

Having recently ridden the Alpe d’Huez – the climb on the penultimate stage of the Tour de France, this year’s Tour is especially appealing. Added to that is Team MTN Qhubeka’s participation – the first time and African team is part of cycling’s most coveted race. Even if you’re only supporting from the comfort of your office chair and sneakily Alt-Tabbing between your work and the live feed of the Tour, you can still show MTN Qhubeka your support.

Take part in the Fanometer Challenge to support the riders in France by simply following the team on Strava, and your kilometers ridden this July will be shared, with your routes and achievements, to the guys in the saddle. Send tweets to them by adding the hashtag #TeamMTNQhubeka.