African pride as Rwanda prepares for cycling history

Kim Le Court of Mauritius and Eritrea's Biniam Girmay are ranked as the best female and male road cyclists in Africa heading into the Road World Championships in Rwanda

Africans have been making their presence known in cycling's top races for more than a decade, but a new milestone will be reached when the 2025 UCI Road World Championships start in Rwanda on Sunday.

The first rider in the women's individual time trial setting off from the BK Arena in the heart of Kigali will mark a crucial moment - the first time a World Championships has been staged on the continent since this particular event began in 1921 in Sweden.

For Kim Le Court, who became the first African to wear the leader's yellow jersey in the Tour de France Femmes this year, competing will be "really special".

She told BBC Sport Africa: "To be on the start line of the very first World Championships in Africa, in my Mauritius jersey, is something I never imagined I would get to experience.

"It is bigger than me. It is about showing that riders from small nations can be part of these historic moments."

There will be 13 different events, split between time trials and road races and with gender parity, in three different age categories - junior, Under-23 and elite - over the course of eight days of competition.

When Rwanda was confirmed as host in 2021, the call went out to the continent's 54 cycling federations to ensure they began planning, selecting and preparing young riders to ensure the best possible African participation.

Around 150 male and female riders currently compete as professional cyclists, including nearly a dozen at the very top level, with Eritrea, South Africa, Algeria, Mauritius and Morocco the leading five nations on the UCI's Africa Tour.

However, the topography of Rwanda, known as the land of a thousand hills, means that the courses will not suit some of Africa's star names.

Girmay glory unlikely

Girmay's legion of travelling Eritrean fans are expected to return home disappointed

For starters, with Kigali sitting over 1500m above sea level, riders will have to be prepared to tackle altitude and the winners will truly earn their rainbow jerseys.

The men's road race includes over 5,500m of climbing - the second highest amount in Road World Championship history - over its 267.5km-long route.

Africa's number one male rider is Biniam Girmay yet, with his skills as a sprinter, the Eritrean will not be able to compete on this terrain against all-rounders and specialist climbers.

Despite making history by becoming the first rider from the continent to claim the green jersey - awarded to the competitor with the most points, who is normally a sprinter - at the Tour de France last year, the 25-year-old might even struggle to finish the race.

"My national team need me to be there and give my support for the team, and of course I'm happy to do that. We'll see what I am capable of doing," Girmay said earlier this week.

"I don't know how many African riders will finish the race. It's nice always to have a big event in your continent or in your country.

"I would expect it is good for the young generation, especially for the Rwandan people because they are really motivated to grow cycling."

The best African hopes on the men's side will come from Girmay's compatriots.

Eritreans Henok Mulubrhan, Nahom Zeray, Natnael Tesfatsion and Merhawi Kudus will work together to help one of them make a push for the top ten.

The elite women, meanwhile, will take on a 164km course which sees 3,350m of climbing.

Le Court, who races for the AG Insurance-Soudal team, is a strong contender after her performances so far in 2025.

Alongside her on the start-line will also be the evergreen Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio from South Africa, who is looking to upgrade her continental champion jersey to the rainbow stripes.

Welcoming the world

The Tour du Rwanda, an official UCI event since 2009, draws healthy crowds to the streets of the capital Kigali and beyond

One of the reasons for the UCI, cycling's world governing body, choosing Rwanda is the country's passion for the sport.

The annual Tour du Rwanda regularly attracts over one million spectators, with even more expected to line the roads during the World Championships.

"Just thinking about that already gives me goosebumps," Le Court said.

"At the Tour de France the crowds are incredible, but this I know will be different. It is on our continent.

"To hear people cheering in Africa, and to feel that energy as an African rider, it is going to push me through the hardest moments. You always suffer in races, but when the crowd lifts you, you find another level."

The ongoing conflict in neighbouring DR Congo - in which Rwanda denies supporting rebel groups - did lead to some calls for the event to be moved, but the UCI confirmed it would go ahead as planned and preparations have continued unaffected.

UCI president David Lappartient, meanwhile, said it had long been his vision to "unite the road cycling family in Africa".

A shop window for the next generation

Hosting the event could also be a catalyst for cycling in Africa.

"It is a moment of enormous pride for everyone involved in developing African cycling over the last two decades," Kimberly Coats, the chief executive of Team Africa Rising, told BBC Sport Africa.

"We hope this event will encourage more consistent, long-term investment in the sport by federations across the continent."

For young African riders this event is all about participation rather than results.

Those from the top five nations and the rest of Africa's top ten (Benin, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Namibia and Uganda) have a chance to understand their own level and put in a performance to attract the attention of a development team which will nurture upcoming talent.

Ethiopia's Tsige Kahsay Kiros, who will compete in the junior women's road race, is one entrant who has been making waves.

The 18-year-old beat riders two to three years her senior at the Tour de l'Avenir (the Tour of the Future), an event keenly watched by talent scouts, after being selected for a UCI project.

These Road World Championships will bring the usual joy and heartbreak for those competing but, unlike any staged before, they will also leave their mark on the host nation and continent.

African cycling will be well and truly on the map.

How to watch Road World Championships

Sunday, 21 September

09:00-12:25 BST - Women's Time Trial on iPlayer/BBC Sport website

12:35-17:00 BST - Men's Time Trial on iPlayer/BBC Sport website

14:30-17:00 - BBC Two

Saturday, 27 September

10:55-16:15 BST - Women's Road Race on iPlayer/BBC Sport website

Sunday, 28 September

08:35-1605 BST - Men's Road Race on iPlayer/BBC Sport website

14:30-16:00 - BBC Two