Cycling stats: Nyandwi is sturdy and powerful; his first bike experience
was as a taxi-biker. In 1998 he started racing on a single speed. That
first year he won enough money to buy his first 10-speed, a 1980 Eddy
Merckx that he bought in the Congo.
Aspirations: Nyandwi is slowly grasping his potential as both a hill
climber and a sprinter. He sees the potential he has to attain a higher
level than he has ever gained. Being a top cyclist in Rwanda is not enough
for him, he wants to be able to excel internationally in both road racing
and mountain bike racing.
Personal: Family includes his mother, five brothers and five sisters.
His father passed away from an illness.
Exerpt from The Philadelphia Inquirer
Dec. 7, 2007
Where he is now is a place Nyandwi Uwase never thought he'd be.
He started biking to support his mother and siblings after his father died, ferrying people around his hometown of Gisenyi, in western Rwanda, for roughly 7 cents a mile.
Uwase raced in his spare time, riding a 1985 Eddy Merckx model he bought for $100 in 2003. But he never expected to get far in the cycling world; a more realistic life goal was someday trading in his taxi bike for a motorized version.
These days, he talks not only of racing in the Tour de France and the Olympics - but of walking away a winner.
"Now, everything is possible," Uwase said, smiling. "With every race we get better and better. I think we can be the best in the world."
In Rwanda, he already is a star.
Everywhere he goes, children chant his name. And recently, he and his teammates were honored at a dinner with the president.
"He's like a hero to us," said Aimé Mutagoma, 26, a Uwase fan.
Uwase and his teammates are trying to give others the same opportunity. All are coaching other cyclists, passing down their equipment and Boyer's training tips.
Innocent Sibomana, 19, now has Uwase's old Eddy Merckx bike and high hopes. He's gunning for a place on the national team with his coach.
"I never thought the sport of cycling would go anywhere," Sibomana said. "Now everybody is interested in it."
