Legendary cycling commentator Paul Sherwen, who lives in Africa and has Ugandan heritage despite spending his racing career with a British passport, has recently visited the Tour of Rwanda for the first time to see what the racing scene in Africa is like.

“This is the first time I come, responding to Jock's (Boyer) invitation, and I am amazed to see what's happening in Rwanda”, Sherwen told Cyclingnews in Kigali.

However, he was sad to see that Uganda did not send a team to the race like their neighbours Rwanda, Eritrea and Ethiopia did.

“I am sad there's no Ugandan national team at the start”, Sherwen said. “In the same way as the Tour of Rwanda, we also can imagine a Tour of Uganda one day. There are beautiful roads outside Kampala, the country is wonderful and there's no doubt a major cycling race could promote all its assets.”

Sherwen would like to see a race across the Great Lakes of Africa nations like Uganda and Rwanda and Tanzania. He sees races like this as the best way to help all of Africa’s cycling federations together, rather than individually.

“Why not organise a cycling event like the East Africa Safari Rallye?” he asked, referring to the competition launched in 1953 and which previously included mostly African participants before turning into a global event. “We need to see these countries as part of a big region, the Great Lakes Africa. There's a strong potential in tourism and economics. A race from Rwanda to Tanzania, going through various countries of the area, that would definitely be great!”