Rwanda will host the 2025 Road World Championships

This is the first time an African nation will host the World Championships

Tour of Rwanda riders tackle the Wall of Kigali
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Tim Bonville-Ginn
By Tim Bonville-Ginn
published

The capital city of Rwanda, Kigali, will host the 2025 UCI Road World Championships, the UCI has confirmed. 

The African nation's home race, the Tour of Rwanda, has gained a cult following with huge crowds flocking to watch the race, with unforgettable images emerging from the race's cobbled 'Wall of Kigali'.

Along with the World Championships, the Rwandan cycling federation (FERWACY) has made an agreement with Belgian Cycling to help Rwanda in cycling development, including school trips to Belgium and sending Belgian experts to Rwanda.

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FERWACY confirmed that the UCI had awarded them with the 2025 championships: "Rwanda (Kigali) will host the UCI Road World Cycling Championships 2025. It will be the first time for Africa to host this world event."

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The Tour of Rwanda has brought the nations love of cycling into focus with incredible shots of riders battling over tough climbs and changeable weather conditions all while being cheered on by huge crowds.

In this year's event, Team TotalEnergies rider Cristian Rodriguez claim the title while Tour de France stage winner Pierre Rolland (B&B Hotels) took a stage victory.

Other winners have been American Kiel Reijnen (Trek-Segafredo) and Merhawi Kudus (Astana-Premier Tech).

Cycling in Africa has been growing in esteem in recent years, with professionals reaching the top level from Rwanda, Eritrea and Ethiopia, while Tropicale Amissa Bongo in Gabon has attracted star names. 

The decision for the host of the 2025 Worlds was between Rwanda and Morocco. The Rwandan bid was made back in 2019 with the decision being pushed back by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

After the ongoing Flanders 2021 UCI Road World Championships, Australia will take up the mantel with the 2022 championships taking place in Wollongong. After that, the 2023 edition returns to Great Britain after Yorkshire held the event in 2019, as Glasgow will host an all cycling disciplines World Championship. 

In 2024 the races will stay in Europe and the Swiss city of Zurich before finally in 2025 Kigali in Rwanda will host. It is not yet known where will host the 2026 events.

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Tim Bonville-Ginn
Tim Bonville-Ginn

Hi, I'm one of Cycling Weekly's content writers for the web team responsible for writing stories on racing, tech, updating evergreen pages as well as the weekly email newsletter. Proud Yorkshireman from the UK's answer to Flanders, Calderdale, go check out the cobbled climbs!


I started watching cycling back in 2010, before all the hype around London 2012 and Bradley Wiggins at the Tour de France. In fact, it was Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck's battle in the fog up the Tourmalet on stage 17 of the Tour de France.


It took me a few more years to get into the journalism side of things, but I had a good idea I wanted to get into cycling journalism by the end of year nine at school and started doing voluntary work soon after. This got me a chance to go to the London Six Days, Tour de Yorkshire and the Tour of Britain to name a few before eventually joining Eurosport's online team while I was at uni, where I studied journalism. Eurosport gave me the opportunity to work at the world championships in Harrogate back in the awful weather.


After various bar jobs, I managed to get my way into Cycling Weekly in late February of 2020 where I mostly write about racing and everything around that as it's what I specialise in but don't be surprised to see my name on other news stories.


When not writing stories for the site, I don't really switch off my cycling side as I watch every race that is televised as well as being a rider myself and a regular user of the game Pro Cycling Manager. Maybe too regular.


My bike is a well used Specialized Tarmac SL4 when out on my local roads back in West Yorkshire as well as in northern Hampshire with the hills and mountains being my preferred terrain.

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