Fourteen cyclists will represent Rwanda at the 2026 UCI Road World Championships in Montreal, Canada, from September 20 to 27. The Rwandan contingent will compete across the elite, Under-23 and junior categories as the country returns to the global cycling stage 12 months after hosting the 2025 World Championships in Kigali, the first edition to be held on African soil. The national team has been preparing at the UCI Regional Satellite Centre in Musanze, where 19 cyclists spent nearly a month in camp ahead of the championships. Fourteen riders were selected for the trip to Canada and are scheduled to depart Kigali on the night of September 16. ALSO READ: Rwanda embarks on preps for Dakar Youth Olympics The men’s elite team comprises Samuel Niyonkuru, Aimé Ruhumuriza, Jules Mugabo and Shemu Nsengiyumva. Kevin Nshutiraguma and Shadrack Ufitimana will compete in the men’s Under-23 category, while Jonathan Muhawenimana, Pacifique Byusa, Bryan Ishimwe and Jackson Nkurikiyinka will represent Rwanda in the junior men’s category. The women’s elite team features Diane Ingabire, Xaverine Nirere and Claudette Nyirarukundo, while Mariate Byukusenge and Jazilla Mwamikazi will compete in the women’s Under-23 category. Rwanda’s junior women’s team will be represented by 17-year-old Donata Akimana and 18-year-old Yvonne Masengesho. Rwanda fielded 23 cyclists at last year’s World Championships in Kigali, with 11 of those riders returning to the national team for this year’s edition in Montreal.
