2025 UCI Road World Championships in Kigali, Rwanda

Rwanda has officially become the first country in Africa to host the UCI Road World Championships. The country hosted the championships in 2025 from September 21, 2025 to September 28, 2025. This was the 98th edition of the UCI Road World championships which happen every year, this year the championships highlighted the beauty of Kigali and Rwanda also known as the “land of a thousand hills”.

Rwanda was a great choice for the road bicycle racing championships as it offered cyclists a different experience, riding through the lush landscapes of Rwanda and the tough hills of Rwanda which tested the resilience of some of the cyclists. 

The energy in Kigali could be felt right from the start as the locals and visitors cheered the cyclists on. The events held were thirteen in number including six road races, a team trial mixed relay and six individual time trials.

The road races happened along a 15.1 kilometers circuit around Kigali and different events consisted of a different number of laps. It was reported that nearly 80% of riders failed to finish the UCI World Cycling Championship race in Kigali Rwanda making it the “hardest edition of the century”. Rwanda is known as the “land of a thousand hills” so the circuit involved a lot of climbing. This combined with Rwanda’s high altitude (1850 meters) made the races extremely tasking and tough for some of the cyclists. 

A cyclist at the UCI Championships as the crowd cheers him on. Photo Credit: UCI_Cycling

The winner of the 2025 UCI World Championship Women Elite Road Race was Magdeleine Vallieres Mill, a Canadian Cyclist. She is Canada’s first elite road race world champion and conquered the tough intense 164.6 km, 11 lap race with a 23 second lead on runner-up Niamh Fisher-Black of New Zealand. Tsige Kiros finished in 7th place in the Women junior road race while Kevin Vermaerke was USA’s only finisher of five starters. There were different starting points for the road races and some included the Kigali Convention Center and BK Arena, Kigali. 

The 2025 UCI Road World Championships were a huge success for Rwanda and the world, Rwanda welcomed 1,396 top cyclists from 110 countries across the world. The championships were broadcast in 124 countries and watched by about 330 million viewers worldwide. 

The 2025 UCI Road World Championships were majorly about the road races but also offered visitors to Rwanda an opportunity to visit Rwanda’s attractions like Nyungwe Forest National Park, Volcanoes National Park and Akagera National Park. Visitors were also able to visit Kigali, go gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking and go on the scenic Nyungwe Canopy walk. This was a great combination for cyclists and visitors with days to spare to get an opportunity to experience other parts of Rwanda. 

What does the 2025 UCI Road World Championships mean for Rwanda?

Visitors and cyclists on arrival at Kigali International Airport. Photo Credit: Visit Rwanda

• The 2025 UCI World Championships have elevated Rwanda and positioned Rwanda as a fantastic destination for sports tourism. The excellence with which Rwanda organized the championships and excellently hosted the championships proves that Rwanda is at a global stage of hosting big sports events. 
• The championships highlighted the beauty of Rwanda, its stunning landscapes and amazing attractions. Cyclists and participants were able to explore Rwanda and visit its diverse attractions. 
• The 2025 UCI Road World Championships have elevated the status of Africa as these were the first ever road world championships to be hosted on African soil. 
• The media coverage highlighted Rwanda as a sports tourism destination and introduced Rwanda to fans worldwide. The exposure happened both on-ground and online as over 330 million viewers watched the championships worldwide. 
• The championships also attracted cyclists and attendees to Kigali and the rest of Rwanda. This contributed to the economy of Rwanda as locals and their businesses were supported. Hotels, guest houses, restaurants, airlines, lodges in the national parks, local tour guides, local tour operators and transport businesses were supported as visitors purchased and booked their services. 

All in all the 2025 UCI Road World Championships were a commendable success. Kudos to Rwanda for excellently hosting this year’s championships!