JUST THE BEGINNING Adrien Niyonshuti with the road frame he first used for racing. After a stint at a UCI training camp in South Africa, Niyonshuti was offered a pro contract with the UCI Continental team MTN-Energade.
Rwanda…. Fina Bank is pleased to announce a substantial sponsorship of TEAM RWANDA, the Rwanda National Cycling Team which will run until the end of 2010 with an option to renew.
At any given pro bike race, there are hundreds of hard-life stories that line up at the start every day. The story of Adrien Niyonshuti (MTN-Energade), however, is unusual among them.
Coming from Rwanda, where six of his brothers were killed in the 1994 genocide, Niyonshuti got a pro contract for this year after winning the 2008 Tour of Rwanda.
Now Niyonshuti is about to start his first pro European event at the Tour of Ireland.
Here is this morning in front of 90 accredited press agencies..and television crews from around the world... Lance asked Adrien to be with him at the start.. this was not a "posed" photo.. it was by Lance's request when he heard Adrien's story and what the MTN team is doing in African for African riders... Lance wants Adrien to succeed.
Adrien Niyonshuti celebrates winning the Tour of Rwanda in September last year. Despite dreaming of one day competing in the Tour de France, Niyonshuti still loves competing on his home Tour. Courtesy of Sarah Pedersen
Rwanda…. Fina Bank is pleased to announce a substantial sponsorship of TEAM RWANDA, the Rwanda National Cycling Team which will run until the end of 2010 with an option to renew.
