Peak (2020)

Olympic cyclist and team principal of NTT Pro Cycling, Doug Ryder dreamed of taking an African team to the Tour de France. Nobody believed it was possible – until he succeeded in 2015, with the MTN-Qhubeka team making history as the first African team to take part in the elite event.

Reflecting incredible highs and dramatic lows, this 50-minute documentary takes viewers on Ryder and the MTN-Qhubeka team’s extraordinary journey as they summit the highest peaks in the cycling world, and explores their impact with the Qhubeka charity, which has distributed 100 000 bicycles to underprivileged young people.

Spanning a seven-year arc, Peak weaves together three vibrant storylines: Ryder, the former Olympian, and his relentless quest to put African cycling on the map; the Qhubeka charity, and its aim to gift young people with the means and the passion to cycle competitively; and the team itself, which is truly pan-African, with participants from Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa, racing in the shadow of cycling’s dark days, post the Lance Armstrong shenanigans, and emerging as a beacon of hope and renewal for both a sport and a continent.

This documentary tells one of Africa’s greatest success stories, said Gideon Khobane, executive producer of Peak. “What the NTT team has achieved at the sport’s elite level is remarkable and serves as a powerful example of what can be achieved when you follow your dream.”