With less than two months to the 2025 UCI Road World Championship, Rwanda is all but getting everything in place in time to make history as the first African nation to host the world’s biggest cycling event in its 125-year history.

In this second episode of The Times Sport Podcast, Weekend Sport’s Davis Higiro sat down with Rwanda Cycling Federation (FERWACY) president Samson Ndayishimiye for an in-depth conversation on the country’s preparations.

From infrastructure upgrades and international partnerships to the readiness of Team Rwanda and the legacy the event could leave behind, a lot is happening behind the scenes towards a successful event in the Rwandan capital city.

Excerpts:

What do you think qualified Rwanda to host this global event?

There are so many factors. First, Rwanda has consistently hosted the Tour du Rwanda, we’re now on the 17th edition, and it’s a race recognized by UCI where riders gain points. That kind of consistency sends a strong message.

We’re also naturally positioned for cycling. Rwanda’s landscape, the land of a thousand hills, is ideal. Our infrastructure, security, passionate fans, compact size, and favorable weather with no winter all combine to make Rwanda a great cycling destination.

Cycling has also long been part of our culture, not just as a sport but also as a means of transport. UCI saw the potential, and we as a country believed we could deliver.

How far are we in terms of readiness to host the event?

I believe we’re on track. This is the biggest cycling event on the continent, and the first time Africa is hosting it in 125 years. As FERWACY, we have a technical role, but this event is far bigger than just the federation.

We’ve got full government support and a local organising committee with nine work streams, from infrastructure to logistics, security to accommodation. Each has a team working tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure everything aligns with the event timeline.

What are some of the ongoing activities as we get closer to the competition?

A lot is happening. For example, the facelift at the Kigali Convention Centre roundabout, that's part of the event’s infrastructure preparations. The City of Kigali, Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA), and other stakeholders are working together to deliver on time.

We’re also working with two event delivery partners — Golazo from Belgium, who have organized world championships before, and the Amaury Sport Organisation, which runs the Tour de France. They bring global expertise while ensuring our systems align with UCI standards.

Preparations also extend to the national team. Riders have been in training camps in France and Musanze. We’re planning another camp leading up to the competition, and we’re grateful to the Ministry of Sports for their support, it’s an expensive undertaking.

We’ll be fielding athletes in all six race categories: men and women elite, U23, and juniors. That in itself is a legacy.

From your perspective, how prepared are Rwandan riders?

In the last Tour du Rwanda, we had riders in the top 10. But the World Championship is a different level. We’ll be competing with the best cyclists in the world.

That said, this is a big opportunity for our juniors. Countries are allowed to bring up to five riders per junior category. It’s our chance to fly the flag and be part of history. As we speak, juniors are going into holiday, perfect timing for their training camp.

Camps alone aren’t enough. They need to race. And we’re doing our best to give them both training and racing opportunities. Anything can happen in sport, and as hosts, our riders should feel confident and inspired.

We’ve seen some infrastructure undergoing upgrade. Can you tell us more about the race routes and the removed humps?

We’re working with the City of Kigali and RTDA to remove about 35 road humps along the routes.

There are three main circuits:

1. Time Trials (Sept 21–23):