Rwanda to host 2025 World Cycling Championships

Cyprian Kimutai 13:22 - 23 September 2021

IMOLA, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 27: Julian Alaphilippe of France / Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari / during the 93rd UCI Road World Championships 2020, Men Elite Road Race a 258,2km race from Imola to Imola - Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari / @Imola_Er2020 / #Imo...

Rwanda becomes the first African country to host the Cycling Championships.

Rwanda has been confirmed as the hosts of the 2025 Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Road World Cycling Championships, becoming the first African country to organise the world’s biggest cycling event.

The local cycling governing body (FERWACY) took to their twitter account to confirm the news ahead of Friday’s official announcement by UCI in Louvain, Belgium.

In 2019, Rwanda and Morocco were the only candidate countries bidding for the World Roads 2025.

The World Roads, which have taken place most often in Europe, the historic heart of cycling, have already been organized on other continents except Africa: America (Venezuela, Colombia, United States, Canada), Oceania (Australia), Asia (Japan, Qatar).

INNSBRUCK, AUSTRIA - SEPTEMBER 23: Lucinda Brand of The Netherlands / Leah Kirchmann of Canada / Liane Lippert of Belgium /Pernille Mathiesen of Denmark / Coryn Rivera of The United States / Ellen van Dijk of The Netherlands and Team Sunweb of The Netherlands / Mountains / during the UCI Team Time Trial Women a 54,5km race from Otztal to Innsbruck at the 91st UCI Road World Championships 2018 / TTT / RWC / on September 23, 2018 in Innsbruck, Austria. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

A UCI inspection team was in Kigali in June to assess whether Rwanda fulfilled all the requirements needed to host the tournament compared to what FERWACY mentioned in its official document bidding to host the tournament.

The outcomes of the visit put Rwanda in a pole position to win the bid against the Moroccans, according to FERWACY President Abdallah Murenzi, after impressing the team that was on the tour.

"They were impressed with the fact that what they found on ground pretty matches what was mentioned in the document submitted to UCI bidding to host the tournament and told us that it increased our chances of winning the bid to host the tournament," said Murenzi.

KIGALI, RWANDA. NOVEMBER 2017."u2028Sixth stage of the Tour of Rwanda between Kayonza and Kigali. Didier Munyameza of the national team of Rwanda in the famous "Kigali wall". (Photo by Julien Goldstein/Getty Images)

About the event

The UCI Road World Championship is a big cycling tournament that attracts hundreds of participants from across the globe.

It attracts an estimated 5,000 cyclists and over 20,000 delegates from different countries across the world.

Statistics also show that over 200 million follow the tournament via over 50 international media agencies that gather for coverage from the host nation.

The event can be held over a relatively flat course which favors cycling sprinters or a hilly course which favors a climbing specialist or all-round. In each case the course is usually held on a circuit of which the riders complete multiple laps.

INNSBRUCK, AUSTRIA - SEPTEMBER 24: Joseph Areruya of Rwanda / during the Individual Time Trial Men Under 23 a 27,8km race from Wattens to Innsbruck 582m at the 91st UCI Road World Championships 2018 / ITT / RWC / on September 24, 2018 in Innsbruck, Austria. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

The world championship road race and two of the three Grand Tours (namely the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France) form the Triple Crown of Cycling.

The Triple Crown of Cycling is a term used in cycling to denote the achievement of winning three major titles in the same season. It is considered by many fans of the sport to be the greatest 'single' achievement in Cycling.