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.

It was a quick trip through the Joberg Airport and then to Cape Town. Once there, we were to pick up our motor home rental and drive 5 hours to Kynsna, the start of the Cape Epic. One of us (David from Motivity pictures) almost instantly got his money and passport stolen and it took us til the following day at the American Consulate to resolve.

Unlocking the key at the Knysna Resort townhouse was quite the experience. This place was plush, new, slept 6, on the water, fully equipped with kitchen, laundry room, great living room and a deck to the water. Our Rwandans were already reeling from the initial shock of South Africa and I think they were expecting us all to cram into this motor home we were driving. Everybody picked their room. Vedaste honorably chose the motor home and the riders were in their own private rooms with their own bathrooms.

It was too bad that we had only two nights there, but it was worth the stay and the experience for the riders. Their first Italian restaurant was a hit, too, and they had their first chandeliers, their first Salmon. The meal was exceptional, especially for the reasonable price.

Now, to tell you the truth I had not really read up much on, or about, the Cape Epic nor had I watched the CD that Tom had sent me about it. That probably was a good thing. If I had checked things out more I probably would have thought twice about putting these two talented, but very green riders into a race of these Epic dimensions as their pretty much first mountain bike experience. And when I say experience, I mean experience. Our MTB's did not get finished until we arrived in South Africa. Our first ride on them was the day before the race - on pavement. The last time the two riders were on a MTB was last September at the Wooden Bike Classic, which had been their first time on an MTB!

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.

SILVER CITY - Team Rwanda isn''t leading the field of 13 professional cycling teams competing in the Ben D. Altamirano 21st Annual Tour of the Gila.

In fact, the five Rwandan cyclists were in last place as a team after the first two stages of the race.

But as part of the first national team from the Republic of Rwanda, they are heroes nonetheless, and doing just fine for their first professional cycling race.

"They''re doing pretty good," said the team''s coach, Jock Boyer, following the Inner Loop Road Race on Friday. "They don''t complain even though it''s super hard, and they''re dealing with a hundred different things right now, whether it''s food, or the altitude or the terrain."

Boyer said the team members were having a good time with the presence of running water and electricity, and they are enjoying every meal like it is going to be their last.

Andrew Johnston, a film maker from Austin, Texas, is following the team on their journey throughout the U.S.

Johnston is producing a documentary about the team members, one of whom lost six brothers in a massive genocide that occurred during the country''s civil war in 1994. Two other members of the team also lost family in the genocide.

Johnston is also involved with Project Rwanda, which is a non-profit organization that seeks to use bicycles as a tool for economic development in the African country. Team Rwanda is part of Project Rwanda.

He said the cyclists were chosen because of their potential to compete on a professional level, as well as their character.

When Project Rwanda founder Tom Ritchey decided to help put a team together, it was about more than just sport, he said.

"It''s not just based on cycling, it''s mostly based on promoting hope and providing their country with some heroes," Johnston said while waiting for members of the team to cross the finish line Friday.

Johnston said he came across some articles about the project and the team and decided it was a good cause. He said the end goal for the team at this point is to compete in the 2008 Olympics. They are scheduled to compete in the African Games this summer for a spot in the Olympics.

He said Team Rwanda will be traveling around the U.S. after the Tour of the Gila is over. They will start with a trip to Northern California, where they may stake out a home base of sorts where they can stay in between cycling events.

Boyer, who was the first American to compete in the Tour de France, is also competing in the Tour of the Gila and was No. 5 in the 40-and-over category after the first two stages of the race. He also is coaching several individual cyclists during the tour.

"The riders are the real story; my career has passed," Boyer said. "These guys never complain even though it''s brutally hard. They are very strong individuals as far as character."

Boyer said the team has been doing well in the opening days of the tour, especially considering that it is their first pro 1 race. He said they have figured out the feed zones, where volunteers hand bottles of water and other supplies to cyclists as they speed by.

He said the Grant County community has shown a great deal of support for the Rwandans. One local tour volunteer even plans to hold a barbecue for the team members Saturday night, with a menu of items that they like to eat, he said.

"We''ve gotten an incredible response from the community and some of the pros have come up to me and said (members of Team Rwanda) are safe on the road and a pleasure to ride with," he said.

The members of Team Rwanda will return to their home country on June 18 before competing in the Tour of Rwanda. For more information about the project or the team, visit www.projectrwanda.org.