The Breakaway - The first eCycling team for prisoners.

The Breakaway<br/>The first eCycling team for prisoners.

The Breakaway

Can a virtual sport help inmates reintegrate into the real world?

6 inmates from Oudenaarde prison race with thousands of riders on the outside world, in the virtual world of Zwift.

They challenge themselves to go for it. To become better.
Better than other riders, and better than themselves.

Sport can free people.
Replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts.
Sport is freedom. Even when you’re stuck between four walls.

Follow The Breakaway here.

An initiative by Decathlon, De Rode Antraciet vzw, Cellmade en de gevangenis van Oudenaarde.

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Meet John Doe

The team members will remain anonymous. We’ll only judge their performance on the bike.

Their avatars are all named John Doe: A name used by law enforcement officers to identify an anonymous person.

Follow their rides on Zwift and Strava.

Hear the experts

Can eCycling help the reintegration of inmates?

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    Pieter Van Caeneghem

    Director of Oudenaarde prison.
    “The separation between prisoners and people from the outside disappears.”
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    Heather Loontjens

    Sports Officer at De Rode Antraciet vzw.
    “This is nearly impossible in prison.”
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    Sarah Van Pelt

    Psychologist
    “We need to give inmates a chance to connect with the society they will eventually return to.”
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    Thomas Lejeune Debarre

    Marketing & Communication Decathlon
    “This project gives them a chance to not be a prisoner for once, but a sportsman.”
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Podcast: The Escape

Attempts to escape usually fail.
Can this virtual escape attempt succeed?
This podcast puts you on the trail of The Breakaway.

The participating prisoners are all Dutch speaking — it’s why this podcast is only available in Dutch.

Teaser The Breakaway
The Break Away Podcast
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Teaser The Breakaway

Sport is freedom. Sport is escape. But is that even possible when you’re always within four walls? When your daily reality is behind bars?

Episode 1: The riders

Episode 1: The riders

Who are the riders, and what are their motivations for participating in this project? What do they want to achieve, or prove?

Episode 2: Paris is still far away

Episode 2: Paris is still far away

Is everyone still in the saddle?
Or have some of the prisoners been left behind?

Episode 3: The demons in their heads

Episode 3: The demons in their heads

For Diederick and Ismail, sport means more than just freedom: it is their salvation.

Episode 4: Death or flowers?

Episode 4: Death or flowers?

Who will cross the finishing line first in the ultimate race, Team Breakaway or Team Justice?

Their schedule

Feel like riding with one of our inmates?
Discover their time schedule and use Zwift’s “Ride With” feature.

The Breakaway vs. Team Justice:
September 14, 19:00 CEST.

An epic race between 6 inmates,
and Team Justice with prison guards, judges, police,
and our Minister of Justice, Vincent van Quickenborne.

Commentary by Renaat Schotte and Cyril Saugrain.

Watch the race live on Decathlon Belgium’s Facebook channel.

The Breakaway. An initiative by:
Vlaanderen verbeelding werkt
Van Rysel
Derode Antraciet
CELLMADE
Federal Overheidsdienst Justicie