Reigning Tour of Rwanda champion Jean Bosco Nsengimana and All-Africa Games road race gold medalist Janvier Hadi have secured a one-year contract with German-based Team Bike Aid.

According to a statement from Team Rwanda Cycling, the duo, who will join the German UCI Continental cycling team for next season, are looking forward to competing in the international peloton regularly alongside some of the best riders in the world.

"Joining Bike Aid is a dream come true and a very big achievement in my cycling career. Every rider wants to go professional. It is also an inspiration to other riders to work harder and become professional,” said the excited Nsengimana, who turned 22 last month.

Hadi spent several months over a two-year period with UCI South African Feeder team to then named MTN Qhubeka, now Team Dimension Data. He was also guest raced for Garneau-Quebecor in August 2014 for a month. Hadi will also be fulfilling a childhood dream next month.

The 24-year-old renowned sprinter is keen on joining compatriot Adrien Niyonshuti in the professional ranks. The latter became Rwanda’s first professional cyclist in 2009 when he signed for UCI pro continental team MTN Qhubeka.

"This is a big step in my career. Competing at such a level means a lot to any cyclist and, for me, this is huge. This is dream come true,” Hadi said.

Both riders are delighted that this opportunity means so much for Rwanda as an upcoming cycling nation that has risen from ashes to defy fortunes.

"We have seen that whenever we compete abroad, we learn something new all the time. For instance, when we went to Belgium this summer, we learnt how to compete on the cobbles,” Nsengimana said.

"This was very key in my performance at the World Cycling Championships and in winning the Tour of Rwanda this year.”

The riders will join Bike Aid at the start of 2016. They join a club which has seen the rise of several African riders like 2014 African Cyclist of the Year Mekseb Debesay from Eritrea and Amanuel Mengstab Meron. Both Nsengimana and Hadi have been riding for Rubavu-based Benediction Club.