Race strategies, gravel paths, height advantage - Has the Rwanda World Cycling Championship been already secured, or will the competing cyclists disrupt the predictions in Kigali?

Race strategies, gravel paths, height advantage - Has the Rwanda World Cycling Championship been already secured, or will the competing cyclists disrupt the predictions in Kigali?

The world of cycling is gearing up for an exciting event as the 2025 UCI Road World Championships make their debut on African soil in Kigali, Rwanda. Ashleigh Moolman Pasio, who will represent South Africa in the elite women's world news race, has praised the course design, calling it a "race of attrition."

The elite women's world news race, spanning 164.4km with 3,350 metres of elevation gain, will include two climbs: the Côte de Kigali Golf climb and the decisive Côte de Kimihurura climb. The latter, a cobbled climb, is compared to the Bosberg climb in the Tour of Flanders.

Moolman Pasio notes that it is possible that a break goes away and we don't have the same organized teams or team numbers to bring it back. The extension loop includes the Côte de Péage, Mont Kigali, and the famed Mur de Kigali, a 400m climb with unruly cobbles and an average gradient of 11%.

The elite men's world news race, covering 267.5km with 5,475 metres of elevation gain, will follow a similar city circuit, with an additional mid-race extension loop that includes three more climbs. The course is likened to the Monument Liège-Bastogne-Liège by multiple-time Tour de France stage winner Biniam Girmay, who will represent Eritrea at the World Championships.

Moolman Pasio believes that the peloton size for both world news races might be smaller than in WorldTour races or previous World Championships due to some nations only sending two riders. She also notes that there will be reduced numbers in the races due to a smaller peloton size.

The courses favor powerful climbers, and both world news races are not expected to be open affairs but could end up coming down to varying degrees of selection. Moolman Pasio believes that the Worlds might play out in a whole new, and somewhat unexpected way, with a more Olympic Games feeling.

Training for such a challenging course while acclimatising to altitude presents its own set of challenges. Moolman Pasio is training in Font-Romeu, near Andorra, at an altitude of 1,800 metres for the World Championships. She points out the importance of making the right training compromises to prepare for the demanding course.

This historic event will be the first time the Championships are held on African soil, and Moolman Pasio believes that it will be interesting to see which nations control the world news, as it might typically be countries like the Netherlands, Belgium, or Italy, but these world news could play out differently. She also points out that there will be plenty of African nations that are there to have the best race they can and put on a show.

The 2025 UCI Road World Championships, from September 21-28, are shaping up to be a thrilling spectacle, testing the mettle of the world's best cyclists in a unique and challenging setting.

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