UCI President David Lappartient has said that he believes Africa will be central to the future of global cycling, pointing to the successful hosting of the 2025 UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda. He was speaking during a press conference on Friday, September 26, in Kigali following his re-election. “Africa is not a finish line; it’s a starting point. This is part of our global strategy. The way they organised the cycling event was a success, and most of my colleagues from the federations were very impressed with the set-up of the race,” he said. He emphasized that this milestone was not an end point, but the beginning of a long-term strategy to expand the sport across Africa through sustained investment in infrastructure, training, and international competition. Lappartient went on to say that the successful event has opened the door for more global cycling competitions to be hosted in Africa. ALSO READ: Lappartient re-elected UCI president until 2029 He added that he believes that the success of the UCI World Championships in Kigali proves that other major cycling events can be hosted on the continent. For him, road cycling is the most difficult to organise. He praised the groundwork laid by Rwanda to successfully host the event as he pointed out that other disciplines, such as mountain bike and track, can be held in Rwanda and Africa in the future. He lauded Rwanda’s cycling federation for being well-organised and said that the country has proven it can host major events. He also confirmed that a UCI satellite training centre has been opened in Rwanda as part of the effort to develop local talent. “Rwanda has a very solid national federation. They’ve done a great job, and now we’ve opened a satellite centre here to support young riders.” ALSO READ: UCI boss Lappartient backs Rwanda to stage successful World Championship The UCI president also believes that the event will leave a lasting impact on African cycling by creating more opportunities for local riders. He announced that the UCI will invest in the continent by continuing to open satellite centres, similar to the one in Rwanda, in other regions of Africa.
