Boyer and Adrien Niyonshuti prepare for the first stage of the 2007 Absa Cape Epic
photo: courtesy Jonathan Boyer

Jonathan "Jock" Boyer may be best known as the first American cyclist to compete in the Tour de France. But these days, the 51-year-old has focused his passion on the central African nation of Rwanda. Along with longtime friend Tom Ritchey, Boyer is one of the key members of Project Rwanda, which aims to use cycling to accelerate Rwanda's economic and social recovery from a brutal civil war and genocide.

Ritchey's involvement with the project centers on designing affordable bicycles to help Rwandan coffee growers distribute their crop. Boyer's job is to establish and develop a team of elite Rwandan cyclists.

Boyer traveled to Rwanda in December 2006. He lived outside of the capital of Kingali and spent much of his time running tests on Rwandan cyclists, trying to pick the individuals with the best physical attributes for cycling. He narrowed the field down to five riders, and in March selected Adrien Niyonshuti and Rafiki Jean De Diu Uwimana to race in South Africa's eight-day Absa Cape Epic mountain-bike stage race. Boyer and Niyonshuti finished 23rd in the final general classification.

But Boyer's mission wasn't over. In late April he received funding to bring the full five-man squad to the United States for a three-week racing trip. None of the Rwandans - Uwimana, Niyonshuti, Abraham Ruhumuriza, Nyandwi Uwase and Nathan Byukusenge - has ever been to the United States before. None of them speaks English, and each day brings a new adventure.

Team Rwanda riders Adrien Niyonshuti (right) and Rafiki Jean De Diu Uwimana
photo: courtesy Jonathan Boyer

"It's amazing, we were driving along and they started to get very excited and were chattering away in the van," Boyer said. "They saw a train going along on the side of the road. Not one of them had ever seen one before."

With donated Schwinn race bikes from Pacific Cycles, a donated RV and a truckload of other donated gear, the crew set out for Moab for a training camp. Along the way, the Rwandans saw snow for the first time.

"They pointed at it and asked me what it was," Boyer said. "They were taking off their shoes and sticking their feet and hands in it. They were like excited little kids."

VeloNews caught up with Boyer at the Rwandans' first American challenge: the Ben D. Altamirano Tour of the Gila in Silver City, New Mexico.

VeloNews: How did you get this trip organized?

The team takes a training ride on Park Avenue in Moab, Utah
photo: courtesy Jonathan Boyer

VN: Why did you want to bring the Rwandans to the United States?

JB: We've always just wanted to do more for them. The Cape Epic was just really about testing the water with them. How they're going to do internationally is the big question. I mean, people can score really high on physiological tests and rides, but how they'll do as racers you don't really know. We saw at Cape Epic that Rafiki and Adrien had real talent. I mean, mountain biking wasn't their specialty and they were still very strong. We got to talking after the race in Cape Town with two of our supporters, Dan Cooper and Tom Vey, about how great it would be to get a couple of riders in America to do some American races. Vey said, "Hey, I'll pay for all five to go," right there.

VN: What other support have you gotten?

JB: Logistically it seemed pretty hairy to bring them over here, but the support has really been huge. We got money for the tickets. We called up Jack Brennan over at the Tour of the Gila and he said he'd give us comp'd entries and give us a hotel room. I talked to contacts in Moab and found host housing and free meals at restaurants. People just want to help. Even in Carmel, where I live, people have been offering whatever they can. I have doctors that are going to give them free physicals and a dentist to address any dental problems, free of charge. You meet these guys and you just want to do something for them.

The team as it prepared to race the Tour of the Gila in Silver City, New Mexico
photo: courtesy Jonathan Boyer

VN: The Rwandans are racing the Pro/Category I race at Gila. How were they able to enter the pro race?

JB: Well, they have international racing licenses. We didn't want to put them in the Cat III. or Cat IV races, I mean, there's just too much time involved in the upgrade process. These guys are talented. They come from a country that is over 5000 feet in elevation and they are real hill climbers, and they have experience riding in groups. They have ridden stage races.

VN: So they're not exactly novice racers. What kind of experience do they have?

JB: They have raced between 15 and 20 races a year. The Tour of Rwanda is a nine-day stage race which is really hard and open to five different countries surrounding Rwanda. One of our riders finished second last year. The three riders we left off of the Cape Epic roster swept the podium this year. These guys aren't just bike riders - they race for a living in Rwanda. They don't make much money, I mean, maybe a couple hundred bucks a year. The Tour of Rwanda gives out $600 for first place and they have individual stage prizes. But in Rwanda that is a huge amount. Every year Rwanda can field three national teams for the race, and this year the Rwandan cycling federation let Team Project Rwanda be the third team.

VN: How did you choose them to be on the team?

JB: Well, I went over there with a laptop and some training equipment. I've worked with Max Testa before and I learned a lot about testing. While I was in Rwanda the word got out that I was testing bike riders and people began showing up. I tested every bike rider who came to me. With the testing you could get a pretty good idea of their physiological state, and I picked a group of 10 riders after the initial testing. We rode two weeks together on the roads there, and the riding is very difficult, lots of up and down. I got a good idea of how strong each guy was, and I hand-picked the group of five riders. They represented the top of all the people I tested. Abraham has won the Tour of Rwanda twice. And Adrie [Adrien Niyonshuti] is only 19 years old and he's a remarkable rider. He has a very smooth pedal stroke and has talent that I rarely see. He got into cycling via his uncle who was a well-known Rwandan cyclist. One of his uncles was killed in the genocide along with six of his brothers. He only has two remaining brothers.

VN: What are your goals for the Rwandan riders?

JB: You know, if the riders had absolutely bombed in the Cape Epic, then that would have been okay. But they didn't, and since they did so well it put a bit of a jolt into us. My goal is to get them some notoriety in Rwanda. Show the world that they have talent and maybe even get them on a team over here. They can go back and then plant the seeds of bike racing in Rwanda. I'd like to qualify a team for the All-Africa Games [slated for July in Algiers]. And we're trying to get them to as many races as possible for maybe qualifying them for the Olympics. In Africa, though, the Olympic qualification is by continent, not by country.

VN: What about your goals while they are in the United States?

JB: Well, we'd like to turn this into an annual thing. For this year I want to see what events we can get them into. There are always a lot of California road races, and I'd like to get them up to Oregon and Washington for the big stage races up there. We're leaving the schedule open at the moment, but I'd like to get them into the Tour de Nez and a possible NORBA National in Utah. That way we could meet with Max Testa and Eric Heiden for some more testing.

VN: How has the experience at the Tour of the Gila gone so far?

JB: [Laughs] Every day brings 100 new life experiences for them here in the United States. I think it's a bit of sensory overload for them. But they like to ride their bikes and are hanging in there. It's been tough racing - this year the race is harder than it's ever been. But they're trying.