The European rider with the greatest predilection for cycling in Rwanda comes from the Baltic Republics and is called Rein Taaramäe. Indeed, because the 38-year-old Estonian athlete, after becoming particularly passionate about the country hosting the World Championship, has made it a regular training destination during the years he wore the Wanty Intermarchè jersey.

An increasingly stronger bond, almost a "genius loci" for Taaramäe, especially during the world championship days. And with a clear vision of what is needed to support African cycling. Here's the idea: "What I've already done during my time with Wanty Intermarchè can be systematized and extended to all World Tour teams", naturally with the help of UCI or through an agreement between all teams. The goal is to commit each team not to discard tires, chains, cassettes, and water bottles, which could be recycled in Africa. An invitation to reuse, and just think about the symbolic and concrete value of these aids."

Rein speaks with expertise, quite sunny despite the reputation of his gloomy countrymen, an experienced athlete who has even bought a house in Musanze, about a hundred kilometers from the capital where he finished 18th in the time trial. An emblematic memory from the Tartu native Estonian: "One day, during a training ride with a Rwandan rider, I noticed his tires were completely worn out. I invited him to change the tire, but the next day he returned in the same condition as before: he didn't have money to buy a new tire."

FATEFUL SECOND PLACE IN 2019
Taaramäe explains the origins of his special relationship with Rwanda: "It was 2019, and I participated in the Tour du Rwanda with Direct Energie, finishing second in the general classification. The following year, I won the mountain jersey, and after the pandemic, I returned to this nation, chosen because it provides ideal training conditions in terms of climate, altitude, and route variety. Let's not talk about Sierra Nevada, where with certain temperatures you have to descend 30 km to the seaside and then climb back up at the end of the session," adds the cyclist with two Vuelta stages (one in 2011 and another in 2021) and a Giro d'Italia stage win in Sant'Anna di Vinadio in 2016.

Musanze is closely connected to the cycling development of this nation, home to the African Rising Center where Rwandan national riders train. The current Kinan Racing Team rider has no doubts about African cyclists reaching the highest levels, perhaps because he had the opportunity to race alongside Biniam Girmay: "I believe there are riders for every type of race, from sprinters like Bini to climbers and all-rounders. This World Championship should leave a legacy of improvements that I can summarize with the motto 'Give them more bicycles and you'll have more riders'".

Without making it sound too easy, Taaramäe acknowledges the driving role of the Tour du Rwanda but broadens the scope of his reflection: "Even 2.2 races can be good, the important thing is to guarantee more packed calendars, because if you don't race, you can't improve. Biniam and other Eritreans, not just them, have experienced the benefit of the World Cycling Center, and racing in Europe has been crucial for them. In general, these nations need more resources to emerge."

He gladly opens a parenthesis about Eritrea: "Just outside Asmara, I cycled without encountering any traffic, riding along a road as wide as an airplane runway. Very popular, in a country where, as Girmay explained to me, you can find a used but refurbished bicycle without breaking the bank".

RWANDAN EPIC IN DECEMBER
Rein has been in Rwanda for two weeks now, and he's used to spending a lot of time here every year, including December, when he will be at the start of the Rwandan Epic trail: "A different and stimulating adventure, surrounded by great enthusiasm in rural villages. Cycling in these latitudes has even sparked curiosity in my wife, with whom we covered 700 km on the road in bikepacking style," he adds, always proud when he encounters a child wearing a Wanty-Intermarchè jersey gifted to them. As a perfect connoisseur of local routes, including the Elite men's race next Sunday, Taaramäe predicts a strong selection: "You'll see that only thirty will finish, and I hope to be among them. It would be a dream come true, although on the other hand, the competition and the race's toughness might make it seem like a nightmare."