In 2025, for the first time ever, the African continent will host the UCI Road World Championships. The stage will be provided by the capital of Rwanda, Kigali, where the world’s best cyclists will face off between the 21st and 28th of September. The country is not new to cyclism. Each year, this beautiful country located in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, hosts the Tour du Rwanda, a popular competition around these parts. This year, the battle for the prestigious rainbow jersey will be fought here, for all the major categories: Junior, Under 23s and Elites. The team relay race, too, has been organized in Kigali. Obviously, the Elite Race will be the more watched competition during the World Championships week.
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The African Frontier
Rwanda is nicknamed the land of a thousand hills and its roads are particularly challenging for a cyclist. Its terrain is unknown to most athletes and a lot of riders are already training there. These UCI Road World Championships are a clear step towards the globalization of cycling. They come at a time when African riders are increasingly making international headlines.
The competition is also an opportunity, and added motivation, for the younger generation of African riders to compete, and possibly shine, on the global stage. To this end, the UCI, its World Cycling Centre (WCC) and the UCI WCC Continental Development Satellite in Paarl, South Africa, have been preparing the most talented local riders for this significant event, with a dedicated Africa 2025 strategy. A lot of people expect a boost in cyclism in the Black Continent, after the end of the Championships.
Women and Other New Features
A new feature at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships will be the first separate races at this level for Women Under-23s. As you may know, UCI world titles, such as individual time trial and road race, have been awarded for this category since 2022, when the championships were held in Wollongong (Australia), but these youngsters have always raced alongside the Women Elite until now.
GPS Trackers for Every Participant
A new feature particularly discussed these days is the introduction of GPS trackers for every rider. This measure is part of the UCI’s SafeR Initiative. It aims to enhance rider safety in professional road cycling as much as possible. The technology was tested during the recent Tour de Romandie Féminin. In that competition, one rider per team carried a GPS tracking device.
In a statement released last 7th of August, the UCI said “The objective of this test is to refine the UCI’s safety tracking software and establish protocols to provide real-time data to race control, medical teams and UCI Commissaires. This system will strengthen the monitoring of rider safety during races and enable rapid response in case of incidents.”
This decision may appear strange to someone who doesn’t closely follow cyclism but it is an answer to an old problem. Last year in Zurich, during the Junior World Championship race, 18-year-old Muriel Furrer died at the University Hospital after a tragic accident. The doctors think she might have been saved if she wasn’t left alone for almost an entire hour and a half after suffering a serious head injury. Race radios, though, are not allowed during the World Championships and it may sometimes be difficult to find a rider after a dangerous accident. Read her story among others in this column from last October.
Among safety concerns, technological devices and a brand new scenery, the next UCI Road World Championships are shaping up to be pretty exciting.
The post UCI Road World Championships in Africa for the First Time: Everything You Need to Know appeared first on PezCycling News.
