Decathlon, one of the largest sporting equipment retailers in Belgium, has a clear mission: ’to make the pleasure and benefits of sport accessible to the many’.

This campaign was launched in 2021: a year of repeated store closings due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Next to closed shops, another restriction was keeping Belgians in their home too.

While everyone in Belgium was waiting for normality to return, Decathlon wanted to connect with its audience by proving that sport would set them free.

At the same time, virtual cycling was on the rise. Virtual sports and worlds like Zwift made it possible for people to work out together, even during lockdown.

So we took cycling to where it had never gone before.

In a maximum security prison in Oudenaarde, Belgium, we launched the first eCycling team for prisoners on Zwift, a virtual world where 3 million cyclists race and ride together. Enabling them to ride with people from the outside world for the first time. As anonymous athletes instead of being labeled a prisoner or outcast. The project is ongoing, permanently reconnecting them with society from behind bars

This approach came to life in various ways:


The Ride Alongs

These training sessions allowed prisoners to race against other cyclists on the Zwift platform. The ride alongs were announced on Facebook, giving the opportunity to everyone in the Zwift community to join the ride.

The livestreamed competition

A virtual race – the last 20 kilometres of the Tour de France, on the epic Champs-Élysées. The prisoners were given an objective to increase their motivation: to beat “Team Justice”, in which Minister of Justice Vincent Van Quickenborne was participating. In a livestreamed Facebook event, hosted and live commented by a real VRT race commentator and geared towards the Belgium sporting population.


The podcast

In the parallel Breakaway podcast, which consisted of four episodes, we followed the inmates during their training and the event. The podcast focused on how the participation in this e-cycling initiative changed the inmates’ mental health and their lookout on life both in- and outside the prison.

The digital storytelling

We also put in place a multi-touchpoint social and digital approach. This approach highlighted the story of the inmates, and the role sports was having on their mental wellbeing, whilst also linking the different activations and touchpoints. All leading up to proving the benefits of sports for overall wellness.