Some 750 non-professional cyclists have registered to take part in a community ride ahead of the UCI Road World Championships, which begins Sunday, September 21. The social ride will take place on Saturday and allow fans to share the road with professional riders during training, said the Minister of State for Sports, Rwego Ngarambe. ALSO READ: UCI is a moment for all Rwandans, let us show up It will be a fun ride for friends and families. They will use on route of road race: Kigali Convention Centre (KCC) - Gishushu - Nyarutarama - Kabuga ka Nyarutarama - Golf Course - Minagri - KABC - Kabindi - Kimicanga Junction- Medheal - Kabindi - KCC There are 46 nationalities participating, including citizens of Rwanda, Belgium, Kenya, USA, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, India, Comores, Ireland, Colombia, China, Andorra, Turkey. “The registered participants are encouraged to have their kits and helmets ready. Some sections of the road will be shared with professional riders during their training,” the minister told Radio/TV1 on Friday. Ngarambe noted that Rwandan riders have received both technical and psychological support, including bicycles and peer-to-peer assistance. They were urged to be competitive with the goal of winning at least some stages of the race, according to Ngarambe. ALSO READ: Timeline: How Rwanda secured bid to host 2025 UCI Road World Champs He said hosting the UCI Road World Championships is an opportunity for the country to develop cycling talent and shows readiness to host international sports events. “This is not the final race. More competitions will follow, and we encourage continuous talent development so that our riders can keep performing at higher levels,” he added. To nurture future talent, satellite training centres have been established in Musanze, Rwamagana, and Bugesera districts. These centres, supported by UCI, will continue to sharpen young cyclists’ skills even after the championships, the state minister noted. ALSO READ: THROUGH THE LENS: Kigali in final preps of UCI Road World Championships There are cyclists from 37 African countries, alongside participants from Italy and Afghanistan, doing joint training sessions in Rwanda, he added. The UCI Road World Championships, which will end on September 28, will also provide a moment to honour cycling legends who have shaped the sport since its inception in 1927. Rwanda won the hosting rights for the 2025 edition in 2021, becoming the first African country to stage the world’s biggest cycling competition. Morocco had also bid to host, but the honour was awarded to Rwanda during the 2021 championships held in Louvain, Belgium. The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has confirmed that the championships will be broadcast in 124 countries and carried on 22 international TV channels, with Rwanda Television (RTV) serving as the host broadcaster.
