Cycling Competition World Championship Happening in Rwanda for the First Time in Africa, 2025
The world of cycling is gearing up for the 2025 UCI Road World Championships, set to take place in Kigali, Rwanda. This marks a significant milestone, as it will be the first time the World Titles are held on the African continent.
However, the path to the WorldTour for African talents has become more challenging following the demise of MTN Qhubeka and its successors. Scouting in Europe now begins at a young age, with 14-, 15-, and 16-year-olds being watched, leaving few opportunities for African talents to break through.
Adrien Niyonshuti, Rwanda's first professional cyclist, is looking forward to the World Championships. He, like many others, has complained about the lack of UCI points-earning races on the African continent. Niyonshuti, who was trained in the "Africa Rising" project, is now passing on his knowledge in his own cycling academy in West Africa.
Rwanda has made preventive agreements to ensure no actions similar to recent protests against the Gaza war or political dissent during the World Championships. This assurance comes from UCI sports director Peter Van Den Abeele, who also assured that there will be no actions during the event that would disrupt the competition.
The European Parliament passed a resolution calling for the World Championships to be moved from Rwanda due to its involvement in the conflict over mineral resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Peace negotiations over the conflict are currently taking place in Doha, but they are repeatedly disrupted by fighting.
Despite the challenges, host Rwanda was granted six places, while South Africa, Benin, Mauritius, and Algeria may only start one rider each. Eritrea can send seven riders into the race thanks to UCI points mainly achieved by superstar Biniam Girmay and the extra starting place for African champion Henok Mulubrhan.
The World Championships will start on Sunday with individual time trials. For the men's road race, only a few African nations can bring riders due to the qualification system. The 2021 Road World Championships in Rwanda featured national teams from various countries, but specific nations represented in the 2021 event are not detailed in the search results. For the 2025 event, nations like Slovenia, Spain, USA, and Germany have mentioned representatives, indicating a diverse international participation.
UCI President David Lappartient has been promoting the World Championships ahead of time, and Adrien Niyonshuti, now training the German national team under Jens Zemke, is eager to make a mark on the global stage. Despite the challenges, the spirit of cycling in Africa remains undeterred, with hope for a brighter future in the sport.
