This weekend members of the UK wine trade will set off on a 375km bike ride from Calais to Champagne to help raise money for the drinks charity, The Benevolent.

The team is being lead by Mentzendorff’s Andrew Hawes and Alan Montague-Dennis who on June 6 will be setting off on their sixth annual trip to Champagne. This year they are being joined by a number of new faces in their charity peleton.

These include William Reed's drinks managing director, Andrew Reed, WaverleyTBS's head of wine, Neil Bruce, Eddie Hart of the Hart Restaurant Group, Ian Harris of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and financier Jamie Alsopp.

Supporting the ride will be ex-Mentzendorff chairman Bill Page and current Mentzendorff employees Rebecca Morrison and Lucy Roberts.

The trip is planned to take four days covering on day one Calais to St Omer; from there down to Peronne on the Somme; day three will take them to Fismes; and then finally on day four the riders will have to climb the Montagne de Reims and descend into Ay – the home of Champagne Bollinger.

You can help them on their way and raise money for the Benevolent by going to http://www.justgiving.com/BenevolentCycleRide2010.