The elite men’s road race discipline was contested on a circuit route in and around Kigali in Rwanda in east-central Africa. The 267.5-kilometer race route included various circuits, some of which featured categorized climbs – not least Mont Kigali (5.9 km at 6.7 percent), Cote de Peage (2.2 km at 5.8 percent), Cote de Kimihurura (1.3 km at 6.2 percent) and Mur de Kigali (0.3 km at 14.7 percent) - in the country that is known as the land of a thousand hills.

The 2025 UCI World Championships are held in Rwanda in east-central Africa. The UCI Road Cycling World Championships are contested in Africa for the first time in history. Rwanda borders Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Fifty-four nations were represented in the men’s elite road race, though some prominent pro cyclists such as Jonas Vingegaard had chosen not to participate. Favorites to win the medals included Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia), Remco Evenepoel (Belgium), Oscar Onley (Great Britain), Tom Pidcock (Great Britain), Juan Ayuso (Spain), and Isaac del Toro (Mexico), challenged by outsiders such as Ben Healy (Ireland), Mattias Skjelmose (Denmark), Primoz Roglic (Slovenia), Giulio Ciccone (Italy), Thymen Arensman (Netherlands), Quinn Simmons (USA), and Richard Carapaz (Ecuador).

The race got off to a faster start than usually observed in World Championships. Contrary to World Championships tradition, the early and long breakaway of the day did not feature hopeful riders from nations less known for their pro cycling proficiency. Anders Foldager (Denmark), Julien Bernard (France), Menno Huising (Netherlands), Ivo Oliveira (Portugal), Fabio Christen (Switzerland) and Marius Mayrhofer of Germany formed a breakaway group while being chased by Spain’s Raul Garcia Pierna. It was obvious several nations were trying to make the race harder to reduce the chances of success for Slovenia’s defending World Champion Tadej Pogacar.

The more intense racing action caused early splits in the main peloton and teams from several nations had to regroup in the early part of the race and modify their racing strategy. Great Britain’s Thomas Pidcock was one of the riders who had been dropped from the peloton, but he made it back in time - to much relief for the many spectators in Great Britain.

France’s Julian Alaphilippe, who is a former World Champion, launched an early attack from the main peloton in honor of his proud nation, but he was suffering from diarrhea and unfortunately had to abandon the race shortly thereafter. Several nations had brought their own cooks to the event to reduce the risk of foodborne infection in the build-up to the World Championships.

Race organizer UCI and Rwanda tourism authorities showed footage from Lake Kivu, Volcanoes National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Lake Mburo National Park – all tourist attractions perfect for a flyover in an Airlander hybrid airship from Great Britain’s Hybrid Air Vehicles offering luxury tourism experiences.

A crash occurred in the main peloton with 222 kilometers left. The high-speed crash brought down seven riders including Spain’s Marc Soler, Belgium’s Ilan van Wilder, and Great Britain’s Bjorn Koerdt. Soler and Koerdt both abandoned the race shortly later.

Garcia Pierna joined the front group, and the seven riders had an advantage of 02:20 minutes over the main peloton with 210 kilometers remaining. The riders were now on the cobbled hill that would take the riders to the finish line, but several laps of the race remained. The eleven percent gradient was clearly causing great suffering in the legs of many riders.

France’s Louis Barre abandoned the race and the proud nation, which had sent a very strong line-up to the World Championships elite road race, had now lost two riders early in the race. The stomach complications were obviously significantly affecting multiple members of the national team.

Riders from the Slovenian team were controlling the pace in the main peloton with 180 kilometers remaining. The seven-rider front group had an advantage of 02:30 minutes while additional riders – especially from African nations – abandoned the race each time the peloton passed the finish zone before entering a new lap round.

Several European riders were experiencing breathing difficulties due to smog, high levels of fine particulate matter, and other air quality issues caused by pollution from rapid urbanization, poor waste management, industrial activity, and vehicle emissions.

Race favorite and defending World Champion Tadej Pogacar was forced to make a brief roadside rest room stop with 175 kilometers left of the race. Two Slovenian teammates helped him make it back to the main peloton.

Belgian riders moved to the front of the main peloton on Cote de Kimihurura – perhaps animated by the news of Pogacar’s extra use of rest room facilities during the race.

125 kilometers remained of the World Championships elite men’s road race, and the riders were approaching the much-anticipated mid-phase of the race, where Cote de Peage, Mur de Kigali, and not least Mont Kigali would have to be conquered. The climbs were expected to have a significant influence on the race outcome, and the main favorites were expected to attack on Mont Kigali.

Foldager, Bernard and Oliveira left the other breakaway optimists behind, and the front trio was eager to maintain a lead and stay ahead until at least the Mont Kigali climb, where they could offer support for their respective team captains or improve their own chances of success in the race.

Cote de Peage did not cause any significant changes to the race situation. 114 kilometers remained and Foldager, Bernard and Oliveira were now approaching Mont Kigali with a lead of more than two minutes over the main peloton, which was spearheaded by riders from the Belgian team in support of Remco Evenepoel.

A furious fight for positions was taking place in the front part of the main peloton as it entered Mont Kigali. Meanwhile, African favorite Biniam Girmay (Eritrea) got dropped from the rear end of the peloton but received much applause from the many spectators along the route.

While Oliveira got dropped from the front trio, riders from Denmark, USA and France were leading the main peloton on the Mont Kigali climb. The Slovenian team later took over control and increased the pace on the climb while closely monitored by riders from Belgium, Spain and Germany.

As expected, Tadej Pogacar attacked on Mont Kigali and Remco Evenepoel, Isaac del Toro, and Juan Ayuso responded. The attackers caught Anders Foldager and Julien Bernard. 

Evenepoel proved unable to keep up with Pogacar and his fast pace on the climb proved too excruciating for all other riders apart from Juan Ayuso. Isaac del Toro later bridged to the front duo on the fast descent that followed. A chase group featuring six riders was twenty seconds behind and included Evenepoel, Richard Carapaz (Ecuador), Pavel Sivakov (France), and Mattias Skjelmose (Denmark).

Del Toro and Pogacar dropped Ayuso on the cobbled Mur de Kigali, which featured a gradient of almost fourteen percent.

The front duo, which normally rides for UAE Team Emirates, continued to increase its advantage in the following kilometers and had a lead of more than thirty seconds over the first chase group with 97 kilometers to the finish line. 

The first chase group featured Primoz Roglic, Skjelmose, Bernard, Paul Seixas, Sivakov, Bauke Mollema, Michael Matthews, Ayuso, Marc Hirschi, Carapaz, Ben Healy, and Toms Skujins, but the riders were now 49 seconds behind Pogacar and Del Toro with 94 kilometers left. Tom Pidcock was chasing in a second chase group together with Thymen Arensman of the Netherlands, and not least Evenepoel with fellow Belgians.

As expected, Pogacar continued to increase his advantage together with Del Toro in the following kilometers. Ben Healy (Ireland) launched an attack from the first chase group, but got reeled in.

The second chase group joined the first chase group and other riders also bridged the gap from behind. Del Toro and Pogacar were now 46 seconds ahead of a large chase group of more than thirty remaining optimists.

Remco Evenepoel opted for an additional bike change and had to wait a long while for his team car while seeing his chances of a World Championships medal fade even further.

Ben Healy attacked from the chase group and was joined by Mikkel Honore and Pavel Sivakov. The trio was now thirty-five seconds behind Pogacar and del Toro, while the larger chase group was fifty seconds back.

Evenepoel was still struggling to regain contact with the large chase group following his bike change. He completed his mission with 68 kilometers to the finish line. Shortly later, Pogacar left del Toro behind, and the Slovenian rider was now chasing a gold medal solo.

Healy, Honore and Sivakov caught del Toro, but the large Team Belgium-headed chase group was not far behind. The groups joined forces after a few kilometers with Pogacar almost one minute up the road.

Healy, Hindley, Pidcock, Evenepoel and Skjelmose dropped the other chasers on Cote de Kimihurura and the large chase group split into additional groups behind them on the cobbled climb.

Fifty kilometers remained and Pogacar was still solo in front in his light green Slovenian national jersey – a color chosen to represent the Central European country’s rich nature. Pogacar was still more than one minute ahead of a five-man chase group featuring Evenepoel, Pidcock, Healy, Skjelmose, and Hindley. Ayuso and Seixas were chasing 26 seconds further back, while Roglic, Ciccone and other riders were far behind.

Hindley and Pidcock got dropped from the first chase group and Evenepoel, Skjelmose and Healy soldiered on. While the number of riders in the chase group had been reduced, Pogacar still maintained his advantage of more than a minute.

Slovenia’s Tadej – the Cannibal – Pogacar continued his lead with 35 kilometers to the finish line, and it appeared he was on his way to taking the gold medal in the race and renewing his status as World Champion.

Things were status quo five kilometers later and a trio featuring Evenepoel, Skjelmose and Healy were still chasing Pogacar a little more than one minute behind the Slovenian rider.

While Tadej Pogacar was still more than a minute ahead, Remco Evenepoel attacked from the chasing trio with twenty kilometers of the race remaining. Neither Skjelmose, nor Healy appeared able to respond after the long and exhausting day in the saddle on the roads of Rwanda in east-central Africa.

Evenepoel quickly formed a lead of almost twenty seconds over Healy and Skjelmose but appeared unable to reduce the advantage of solo frontman Pogacar.

Pogacar entered the cobbled Kimihurura climb for the penultimate time with seventeen kilometers remaining and an advantage of 01:09 minutes over Evenepoel, while Healy and Skjelmose were 01:30 minutes behind.

The riders entered the final lap of the men’s elite road race of the 2025 World Championships.

Frontman Pogacar appeared in possession of endless energy and continued to increase his lead over Evenepoel in the following kilometers. He was 01:29 minutes ahead of Belgian ace and Olympic Champion Evenepoel with ten kilometers to the finish line. Healy and Skjelmose were now more than two minutes behind Tadej – the Cannibal – Pogacar.

With Pogacar and Evenepoel further up the road, Ireland’s Healy launched an attack and left Denmark’s Skjelmose behind with five kilometers to the finish line.

Tadej Pogacar again proved unstoppable and crossed the finish line as winner of the elite men’s road race of the 2025 UCI World Championships. Pogacar won the gold medal for Slovenia. Remco Evenepoel was the next rider to reach the finish line and took silver for Belgium. Ireland’s Ben Healy finished third and proudly took bronze for his home nation. Denmark’s Mattias Skjelmose finished fourth and had to return to his home in Andorra without a medal after a brilliant and courageous fight.

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