A keen Bury St Edmunds cyclist and his pal today announced their ambitious plans to cycle from the town to the African country of Rwanda next May.

The 6,000 mile ‘Cycle to Rwanda’ trek, which should the pair 70 days, is set to be the most high profile event in the lead up to Rwanda’s athletes arriving in the town to prepare for the 2012 Olympics.

Team Rwanda have chosen to set up their base at the Abbeycroft Leisure Centre after Bury St Edmunds applied to be listed in a 2007 guide to pre-games training sites.

Rwanda chose Bury and now cyclists Peter Goodwin and Peter White hope to fly over from the African country with the Olympic athletes after they’ve completed their trip.

Peter White, 31, from Bury St Edmunds, said: “I want to cycle to Rwanda for a range of reasons. To broaden my understanding of Africa, to learn about the culture of the places that I have only preconceived ideas about, to push my body to its limit by cycling at altitude, over mountain rangers and through deserts.

“But most of all I want to try and make a difference, albeit in a small way to the people of Rwanda who have experienced such terrible hardship in the very recent past.

White, and pal Peter Goodwin, 28, from Colchester expect to leave in early May 2012 from the town’s leisure centre and their 100-mile a day route will involves passing through France, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda.

Expect to hear lots more about Bury’s links with Rwanda in the countdown to the 2012 Olympics. Do you think it’s good for the town?