LowestRates.com Cycling Team head to Rwanda with a dual mission
Gatineau-based team hopes to contribute to the development of cycling in Rwanda
When the Tour du Rwanda begins on November 13th, a Canadian-based trade team will be on the start line arriving in the small African country with a dual mission. In the coming weeks the Gatineau-based team hopes to collect new and barely used cycling equipment and clothing to donate to the Rwanda Cycling Federation when they arrive for the race.
Frédérick Gates, the teams owner and manager hopes that Canadians and North American cycling companies will support the project with their generosity. “I would love to have North American cycling companies donate some of their unsold cycling wear or even previous demo cycling kits.” said Gates. “We’ve also established a few drop-offs location where people can directly contribute to the cause. As of now, there are three locations in the National Capital Region and one in Montreal. We hope to add more donation boxes around the country in the coming days.”
It is quite unusual for a trade team from North America to travel overseas for races but Gates has a vision of what his team needs to become to be successful. “Looking around a lot at teams are folding. The financial base of teams needs to involve and that requires the riders to take ownership of the program,” Gates explained. “If sponsors are removing their support, it’s because they aren’t getting a return on their investment.”
In order to increase that return for team backers, Gates and his riders are trying to create a story that is relatable and is fun to follow on social media throughout the season. With that in mind, Gates got his team into two international UCI races in 2016. The Tour of Szeklerland in Romania is a race you are probably not familiar with. Gates explains why it was important to get his team invited, “For me Romania was all about the adventure and creating content to get people talking about the team. It might be happening in Europe but the attention is in North America.”
Building on that adventure, Gates says being invited to the Tour du Rwanda is an extremely important opportunity for his riders and the team as a well. “A lot of people only remember the country for the genocide, what they don’t know is the country rebuilt itself in an incredible way and cycling was a part of getting people believing in something,” said Gates. “That idea has a lot more value for a sponsor than us winning.
“I am hoping to show the evolution of that country and their passion for cycling. Three to four million people show up to the race over the 8 days. I want to show people that side of Rwanda and I hope our guys aren’t just there racing bikes but helping in some small way.”
The UCI 2.2 sanctioned Tour du Rwanda starts with a prologue in the nations capital of Kigali and will run for eight stages until November 20th. “The reality in Rwanda is far from what it is here. Some of their aspiring athletes are sharing and training on the same ‘one-size-fits-all’ bicycles,” explained Gates. “This has not stopped them from building an incredible cycling program while mainly depending on donated products and undeniable passion.”
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By 2018, Gates is hoping his team will have the partners to become a UCI Continental team. Building the team one step at the time, he says, is his focus. “Sponsors need a return on their investment. If they get a team that just talks about their results then the team is only making an impact in the cycling scene. I need to show sponsors that you won’t just get visibility in cycling because there will be a wider impact.”
With that goal in mind, the small Canadian team prepares for maybe the teams most important race of the team, far away from home. “The whole team is excited by the opportunity to compete in Africa’s toughest race and to also positively impact the future of cycling in this once divided country”
