Riders to keep an eye on in the 2025 UCI World road champs

Cycling enthusiasts around the world are tuning in to international broadcasts ready to watch the 98th edition of the UCI Road World Championships, hosted on the African continent for the first time in history. According to the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) entry list, 1,394 riders from 109 countries will compete in the road race, set to take place in Kigali, with stars like Slovenian Tadej Pogačar among them. Times Sport, in this article, presents five men and five women riders to watch during the week-long road race. Men riders: Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia) The 26 years old Slovenian cycling prodigy, stands as the top cyclist according to the UCI men’s road racing world ranking with 11,235 points. Riding for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Pogačar has amassed an impressive tally of victories, including four Tour de France titles (2020, 2021, 2024, and 2025), a Giro d’Italia win in 2024, and nine one-day Monuments, such as the Tour of Flanders and Liège–Bastogne–Liège. In 2025, he showcased his prowess by winning the UAE Tour, Tour of Flanders, La Flèche Wallonne, and Liège–Bastogne–Liège. However, despite initiating several attacks at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec, he finished 29th, his worst one-day result since 2022. Biniam Girmany (Eritrea) The 25 year old Eritrean rider holds a legacy of being the first African rider to climb the podium as a silver medalist in the under-23 men’s road race at the UCI Road World Championships. He went on to achieve stage wins at the 2022 Giro d’Italia (stage 10) and Gent-Wevelgem, before shining on cycling’s biggest stage in 2024 by winning three stages of the Tour de France (stages 3, 8, and 12), along with the green jersey in the points classification. Roglic Primoz (Slovenia) Primoz, at 35 years old, had strong showings in past World Championships, especially in the time trial discipline, well known at Vuelta a España as its four-time champion. He will compete in men’ elite individual time trial and road race, recently in March Primoz sealed a second Volta a Catalunya title, the 2025 edition was held in Barcelona. ALSO READ: Mur de Kigali: The 500m cobblestone climb that could decide 2025 UCI road race Julian Alaphilippe (France) The French cycling star is known for his aggressive racing and daring attacks. A two-time UCI Road World Champion (2020, 2021), he has also excelled in the Tour de France, winning six stages and wearing the yellow jersey for 18 days, as well as in one-day classics like La Flèche Wallonne. In 2025, he joined Tudor Pro Cycling Team, revitalising his form and already securing a solo victory at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec. With his experience, tactical brilliance, and renewed energy as a 33-year-old pro racer, Alaphilippe is a top contender at this year’s World Championships in Rwanda, promising thrilling performances for fans. Remco Evenepoel ( Belgian) Belgian cycling sensation Remco Evenepoel is one of the sport’s brightest stars, known for his time trial prowess and dominance in stage races. He is currently riding for Soudal–Quick-Step and boasts an impressive list of achievements, including winning the 2023 UCI Road World Championship and overall victories at the 2022 Vuelta a España and 2024 Giro d’Italia. In 2025, he has already made his mark with a stage win at the Tour de France, a podium finish at the Amstel Gold Race, and a time trial win at the Tour de Romandie. Heading into the UCI World Championships in Kigali, Evenepoel is a favourite to defend his World Time Trial title and compete strongly in the elite men's road race over the challenging 267 km course with about 5,000 meters of climbing. ALSO READ: Why Kigali 2025 is billed to be UCI’s hardest race ever Women riders: Kimberley Le Court Pienaar (Mauritius) Best known as Kim Le Court, the 29 years old Mauritian professional racing cyclist rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam AG Insurance–Soudal. This year she became Africa’s first Monument winner at Liège-Bastogne-Liège in April, before winning a stage at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and holding the yellow jersey for four days. Le Court represented Mauritius at the 2019 African Games in cycling, winning two medals: gold in the women's cross-country marathon and the bronze in the women's cross-country Olympic event. She is expected to compete in the women’s elite road race in this year’s UCI World road championships in Kigali. Catrin Ferguson ( Great Britain ) At 19, Ferguson is a four-time World Junior Champion, holding four titles across two disciplines, all won in 2024. In 2024, she joined Movistar Team as a stagiaire and became a full-time member of the team a year later. She is the 2024 Junior Track Cycling World Champion in both the team pursuit and the omnium, and the 2024 Junior Road Cycling World Champion in both the time trial and road race. She was the first cyclist to win the World Junior road double since compatriot Zoe Bäckstedt. In addition, Ferguson won two silver medals at the 2024 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, in the women's junior race and the mixed team relay and is set to compete for this year’s UCI World road race in Women Under 23 discipline. ALSO READ: Cycling icons who shaped UCI Road World Championships Isabella Holmgren (Canada) A 20-year-old Canadian rider holds the gold medal in juniors’ cross-country at the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships. It will be her second time competing in the UCI’s road race, where in her debut race was in 2023 finishing 8th in women’s junior category. Zoe Backstedt (Great Britain) Backstedt who will turn 21 on September 24 during the UCI Championships is a Welsh professional cyclist racing for the UCI Women’s World Tour Team Canyon–SRAM Zondacrypto, competing in road, cyclo-cross, and track events. She won the junior road race and time-trial world championships in 2021 and 2022, a junior cyclo-cross world title in 2022, and her first senior World Championship in the 2025 cyclo-cross mixed team relay. In addition, she also claimed a junior track Madison world title and multiple European junior championships on track and in cyclo-cross. She will compete in under 23 women's individual time trial in the 2025 UCI World road race championships in Kigali. Pauline Ferrand Prevot (France) French rider Prevot, 33, is the Tour de France Femmes 2025 and Olympic mountain bike champion. Her name caught headlines during the 2015 season becoming the first person in the history of cycling to simultaneously hold the world road title, world cyclo-cross title and world cross-country mountain bike title. Prevot will compete in the women’s elite road race category, tackling 11 laps of the Kigali circuit for a total distance of 164.6 km with an elevation gain of 3,350 metres.

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Riders to keep an eye on in the 2025 UCI World road champs