Team Australia reclaimed the Team Time Trial Mixed Relay world title on Wednesday to make their presence at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships in Kigali noticed.
Attention now shifts to the road race which kicks off on Thursday, September 25.
But before we move onto the road race, Times Sport rounds up five key highlights that stood out in the individual and team time trials during the past four days of the challenging but thrilling championships, the first to ever be staged on African soil.
Evenepoel proves who is the king of ITT
Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel against lived up to expectations, overpowering world champion Tadej Pogačar to claim his third straight men’s elite individual time trial (ITT) world title.
In the final 2.2 kilometers of cobblestone climbing in Kimihurura, Evenepoel wearing the golden helmet as Olympic champion caught and overtook Slovenia’s Pogačar, who had started 2.5 minutes ahead of him, to secure the rainbow jersey.
Evenepoel completed the 40.6-kilometer course in 49 minutes and 6 seconds, adding Kigali 2025 to his collection of ITT titles after victories in Glasgow (2023) and Zurich (2024).
His victory cemented his place as one of the best, if not the best rider the cycling world has ever witnessed in ITT.
ALSO READ: Remco Evenepoel wins third straight time trial world title
Pogačar outshined, eyes redemption in road race
The much-anticipated rivalry between Evenepoel and Pogačar is already becoming a hot topic in the city ahead of Sunday’s men’s road race.
Pogačar admits he struggled at each checkpoint, losing ground on the challenging course that finished at the Kigali Convention Centre (KCC).
"For sure, it was a hard one to swallow, but he’s Remco, and he is so good in this discipline. I hope he prepared 100 percent for today, and that he’ll only be 99 percent ready for next Sunday,” Pogačar said.
His remarks add more anticipation to September 28, when elite men riders will face a grueling 267.5 km course with 5,475 meters of elevation at Kigali’s altitude of 1,850 meters.
That’s the ‘Remco vs Pogacar’ Part Two every cycling fan is talking about.
Fingers crossed.
When Cote de Kimihurura made everyone suffer
The cobblestone section in Kimihurura, tackled before the finish line at KCC, proved to be one of the toughest challenges for ITT riders across all categories.
It has probably become the leading storyline of the time trial races since Evenepoel surpassed Pogacar few metres past Women Foundation Ministries on Sunday. He can still feel it, takes it as a debt he must repay.
Swiss cyclist Marlen Reusser, who won the women’s elite ITT on day one but fell short with Team Switzerland in the Mixed Team Relay losing gold to Australia by 10 seconds shared her perspective.
"Looking at the weather conditions here was already difficult. I knew there would be climbs on cobblestone routes, but the experience was tougher than expected. Looking forward to the road race, it will be different, but I will be ready,” Reusser said.
Australia lead the chasing pack so far
Australia’s 28 riders have already demonstrated their intent to dominate. From Brodie Chapman’s strong performance in the women’s ITT finishing fourth to the defending champions Michael Matthews and Jay Vine returning to lead the relay team, the Aussies have shown consistency.
In front of passionate Rwandan fans, Team Australia defended their Team Time Trial Mixed Relay crown, clocking 54 minutes and 30 seconds over 41.8 km. They edged France by 5.24 seconds and Switzerland by 10 seconds to secure the gold.
Vine also has a silver in the bag, putting Australia in the pecking order.
After all, Africa wins
Gone are the days when the FIFA World Cup came to the African continent for the first time in 2014. Spain still remember that the only World Cup they have in their trophy cabited was lifted in South Africa after beating Netherlands in extra time in the final.
Eleven years later, Kigali is hosting the UCI Road World Championships and the atmosphere has been a whole vibe.
Hosting the global cycling event on African soil for the first time has sparked incredible excitement among fans. From the opening ceremony at BK Arena, where hundreds of Rwandans filled the venue to cheer, to the roadside crowds across Kigali, the energy has been electric.
Designated fan zones such as Kigali Convention Centre and Kimironko’s Simba Supermarket area have been packed with supporters, creating a vibrant atmosphere as riders passed through iconic city spots on their way to climbs like Kicukiro and Gahanga.
Now, the stage is set for the road races. The action begins on Thursday, September 25, with the women’s under-23 category making its debut at the World Championships.
A total of 82 riders from 40 countries will cover 119.3 km, starting and finishing at the Kigali Convention Centre. The route takes them through Gishushu, Nyarutarama, Kabuga, Utexrwa, the golf course, SOS Children’s Village, MINAGRI, Kacyiru, Mediheal, and the Ombudsman’s Office, before concluding at KCC.