Tinkoff-Saxo are hoping that 90% of the 80 riders and staff members that will begin the climb to Kilimanjaro’s summit as a team building exercise will make it to the end in order for their sponsors t triple their donations. Donations will also be doubled if 70% make it to the top.

Proceeds are going to the Matonyok Parents Trust Orphanage and the Arusha Cycling Club. Oleg Tinkov has covered the 200,000 Euro cost of the trip. Fans can also donate via the teams Facebook page.

Alberto Contador will be joined by new signings Peter Sagan, Ivan Basso and Robert Kiserlovski, as well as new staff members Bobby Julich and Sean Yates.

This is not the first time that Bjarne Riis has done something unusual to build team morale, having taken his previous teams to Denmark, Israel and South Africa before.

 "I want to put everyone in a different environment to see how they react," Riis told Cyclingnews when he announced the team building camp.

"It's not about being first to the top, indeed some people won't make it to the summit, it's about seeing how people deal with problems under stress, how they work together and who are the natural team leaders. We have similar situations at the races and so it can only make us a better team.”

"It's not only about climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. It's about integrating new people in the team and laying the foundations for 2015."

Alberto Contador will take on the five-day trek not long after knee surgery after his broken tibia sustained in the Tour de France but he says he is looking forward to the trip.

"I'm curious to see what it'll be like because it's something new for us, something really different. We might be a bit disorientated at first but I like the idea of it." Contador told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

The staff and riders have been prepared for the trip and have special equipment to deal with the cold. They have been advised to take the Hepatitis A vaccine before they leave.

"The biggest problem will be getting used to walking for six to eight hours a day with a rucksack. That's why I've been walking in the woods near my home," Daniele Bennati told Gazzetta.

"Blisters could be a real problem and walking could hurt our tendons but we've been supplied with good equipment. We've got to take a sleeping bag because we'll be sleeping in a tent."

The team will meet with riders from the Arusha Cycling Club today before beginning their trek from Machama Gate. They will begin at an altitude of 1828m and base camp is at 4040m above sea level.

It is not a difficult climb but temperatures of up to -25 Celsius can make the trek very demanding indeed. The climb is gradual, which will help with but not prevent altitude sickness.

"The climb to the summit is via a path and isn't difficult or dangerous," Paolo Rabbia, an Italian mountain climber told Gazzetta.

"The big problem is the altitude sickness, that causes a lack of breath, headaches, nausea and dizziness. It's important to pace the ascent to help the altitude adaption. The team's schedule means they shouldn't have any surprises."