An American racer from TT1 rides just behind a member of the Rwandan national team in Stage 6 of the seven-stage Tour of Rwanda. That day, the racers rode 96 miles from Huye (Butare) to Karongi (Kibyue) at an average altitude of 6,214 feet. As Rwanda has slowly healed from the genocide of an estimated 800,000 people in 1994, the country has experienced a massive influx of foreign aid. The Tour of Rwanda is a multi-stage bicycle race covering hundreds of miles across the Land of a Thousand Hills. The race is part of growing evidence that the situation—while still fragile—is slowly improving.

John Wendle is an independent reporter, photojournalist, and videographer based in Kabul, Afghanistan. His work has been featured in TIME, CNN, The New York Times, Channel 4 News, The Times of London, PBS, and other news outlets.