SILVER CITY – Overcoming adversity is a common theme in the sporting world. But five cyclists entering as a team in the 21st annual Ben D. Altamirano Tour of the Gila have endured a degree of adversity most Americans couldn''t even begin to imagine. The five cyclists are entering this year''s tour as the first-ever national team from the Republic of Rwanda, where cycling is more a primary means of transportation than a sport. For Abraham Ruhumuriza, 28, Adrie Niyonshuti, 19, Kyandui Nuwase, 25, Nathan Byukusenge, 19, and Rafiki Jean deDieu Umimana, 21, the trip to Silver City and the U.S. will be a first. It will be the first time that some of them have even crossed the borders of a country that continues to struggle 13 years after its civil war.

In 1994, hundreds of thousands of Rwandans were killed in an ethnic genocide during the Rwandan Civil War. "For some, it will be the first time out of Rwanda. One of them lost six brothers in the genocide. Another lost two," said Jock Boyer, coach of Team Rwanda. Boyer is a 50-year-old American who raced in the Tour de France during his 20s, taking 12th in the 1983 tour. He won his class in last year''s Tour of the Gila. "The organization of the Tour of the Gila is exceptional, the community is exceptional and the race is exceptional so it was a perfect fit for this team," Boyer said. Boyer said the Rwandans are familiar with rugged terrain like that which cyclists will face in the Tour of the Gila, which starts May 2 and runs through May 6. "One reason I picked the Tour of the Gila is the hills," Boyer said. "Rwanda is known as the land of a thousand hills. They are climbers." Boyer said bicycles are used for just about everything in Rwanda — the transportation of water and food being perhaps their most important use. He said he went to the republic a few years ago to meet a friend he had known since the 1970s, Tom Ritchey, founder of Project Rwanda.

Project Rwanda is an economic development group that works to provide bicycles as a "tool of empowerment and as a symbol of hope," according to the project''s Web site. The group is also involved in designing and distributing special-use bicycles, like those used by coffee farmers that speed up the process of transporting raw coffee products, and therefore increase the farmer''s profit. "From there we got the idea of getting a bike team together," Boyer said. In late March and early April, the team competed in what Boyer called the most grueling bicycle race in the world - Cape Epic, an eight-day mountain race in South Africa. Boyer said the team did well, despite the fact that the members are still in the process of developing their racing abilities.

"They're very talented kids, they just don''t have a lot of bike racing experience," Boyer said. Boyer raced the Tour de France five times between 1981 and 1987, riding for the American team, which was sponsored by the convenience store 7/11.

On Friday, state Sen. Ben Altamirano presented a check to Tour of the Gila director Jack Brennan for $50,000. A bill that was introduced by Altamirano passed and will provide the funding for safety needs and other improvements to the race.