Racing conditions in Rwanda's World Championships: will the anticipated favorites dominate, or will the peloton disrupt the expected script in Kigali?
The cycling world is gearing up for the 2025 UCI Road World Championships, set to take place in Kigali, Rwanda from September 21-28. Ashleigh Moolman Pasio, who will represent South Africa in the elite women's race, finds the course challenging and suitable for her style of riding.
The women's race will feature 11 laps of a 15.1km city circuit, with the Côte de Kimihurura climb, a 1.3km cobbled ascent at 6.3%, being a recurring challenge. The peloton might be different in Kigali, with countries like the Netherlands, Belgium, or Italy potentially being less dominant, as Moolman-Pasio notes.
Moolman-Pasio, who has more experience in racing in Africa than some of her top competitors, expects a 'Tokyo Olympic Games' feeling at the event due to reduced numbers and a slightly different atmosphere. She also believes that the peloton size and attendance might feel more like the Olympic Games, with some nations only sending two riders.
The elite men's race will follow a slightly different format, featuring the same 15.1km city circuits, nine at the start and six at the end, along with an additional mid-race extension loop. This loop includes three more climbs: Côte de Péage, Mont Kigali, and the famed Mur de Kigali, a punishing 400m climb with unruly cobbles and an average of 11%.
The Mur de Kigali is expected to be a decisive point in the men's race, as it is not suitable for all riders, including Biniam Girmay, who will represent Eritrea at the World Championships. The men's race will be 267.5km with 5,475 metres of elevation gain.
The national teams likely to play a major role at the event include Slovenia (with Tadej Pogačar), Belgium (with Remco Evenepoel), Denmark (with riders like Matias Skjelmose and Jonas Vingegaard indirectly involved), Canada (with Derek Gee), Australia (with Luke Plapp), and France (with Pauline Ferrand-Prévot as a top female favorite).
The organisers of the Rwanda Worlds have built a city circuit to host millions of fans who are anticipated to come out to watch, all week, and especially the elite road races on the final weekend. Moolman-Pasio describes the crowds as being like Flanders, but with an African flavor and a unique vibe.
Moolman-Pasio has been training at Font-Romeu, near Andorra, at an altitude of 1,800 metres for the event. High-speed interval training at altitude can be challenging and requires careful management to avoid overtraining, she notes.
The 2025 UCI Road World Championships in Kigali, Rwanda, promises to be an exciting event, catering to several riders from African nations, including Moolman-Pasio and Kim Le Court-Pienaar from Mauritius.
Read also:
- United States tariffs pose a threat to India, necessitating the recruitment of adept negotiators or strategists, similar to those who had influenced Trump's decisions.
- Weekly happenings in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Southwest region's most popular posts, accompanied by an inquiry:
- Discussion between Putin and Trump in Alaska could potentially overshadow Ukraine's concerns
