I sent this email to participants in our Fantasy Tour de France game. If you didn’t receive that, happen to read this and are interested in joining us, please message me directly with your email address.
I very recently wrote "You'll next hear from me in June," but as we're changing things up next year, and as our new initiative will require a lot of planning, I wanted to reach out now – not coincidentally, the weekend when the World Cycling Championships started.
This year they are in Zurich; next year they'll be held in Kigali, Rwanda. This is a very big deal: "Worlds" almost always takes place in Europe, though it's landed over the last couple of decades in the U.S., Canada and Australia. It has never been held in Africa. Now imagine the colors of the peloton sweeping not along Alpine backdrops, but the tropical landscapes of the “Land of 1,000 Hills.”
Karen and I are excited, to say the least – not just to watch a bike race, but to have the opportunity to return to next-door Uganda, home to Achon Uganda Children's Fund (AUCF). We're hoping you'll consider joining us. (For more background on AUCF, watch this 5-minute video.)
We're going to coordinate a two-part trip next September. Dates are tentative. You are welcome to join for part one, part two, or both.
September 15-23: Ride bikes acquired through 88bikes from Jinja to Awake, home to AUCF's medical clinic.
Count on about 50 miles per day. The ride will be fully supported, but very simple and rugged.
The bikes themselves are cruiser-style, single speeds. Yes, that will be challenging; that's the point!
No one will have to ride every mile, and will be welcome to ride in our support van.
Accommodations will be in very modest hotels. We'll eat (a lot of) local food (beans, rice, corn meal, fruit and vegetables, some chicken and goat; there tends also to be very good Indian food).
We'll deliver the bikes to clinic staff for use in delivering medicine, care and education, and to local girls who have been selected for strong academics and athletics.
We will ask you to donate $88 to 88bikes (to pay for your bike, which you'll hand off to a clinic staff member or local girl). You will be invited but not required to raise or donate additional funds to AUCF and/or 88bikes.
September 24-28: Watch the World Cycling Championships in Kigali.
Hotels and food should be more "western," though keep in mind: This is still Africa!
We hope to rent higher-end bikes for rides from town, and to stake out spots to watch the key races.
Everyone will be welcome to plan their own excursions, such as to view the famous Rwandan gorillas.
This trip will obviously take a lot of planning. Karen and I will share all the knowledge we can, and will hire drivers and book hotels, but we'll ask everyone participating to book their own flights. While we don’t know exactly what to expect in terms of expenses, we do know that:
Flights run around $1,300 round trip. (We often book with a layover of a couple of days in Europe to see a new city.)
Hotels in Uganda cost around $50/night for two people sharing a room.
Food is very inexpensive in Uganda. Expenses in Rwanda will likely be higher, but not a lot, according to Western standards.
We have heard that trekking to see the gorillas can be expensive.
Other expenses to consider are visas, vaccinations and in-country transportation in Rwanda.
Please reply to this email with questions, and to let us know that you are interested in joining.
Mike
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Meanwhile, check it out! https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/2025-road-world-championships-in-rwanda-to-be-one-of-hardest-ever/