The 2025 UCI Road World Championships began on a high note in Kigali, where Swiss rider Marlen Reusser seized victory in the Women’s Elite Individual Time Trial (ITT), while Rwanda proudly celebrated its cyclists’ participation on the global stage.
The time trial, raced over a 31.2-kilometer course from BK Arena to the Kigali Convention Centre, tested both endurance and tactical precision.
Reusser, starting her race at 11:55 a.m., displayed exceptional strength and strategy, finishing in 43 minutes and 9 seconds. Her commanding ride not only delivered her the gold medal but also ended Switzerland’s 20-year wait for a world title in this discipline.
She crossed the line 51.89 seconds ahead of Dutch legend Anna van der Breggen, who earned silver, while fellow Dutchwoman Demi Vollering secured bronze, a minute and four seconds behind.
Norway’s Katrine Aalerud followed closely in fourth place, and Slovenia’s Urška Žigart, the wife of Tour de France star Tadej Pogačar, managed ninth. Wearing the coveted rainbow jersey, Reusser described the race as one of the toughest of her career, but also the most rewarding.
“It was a very tough race. I tried to descend faster and to push harder on the climbs, and I managed. This is something I have been waiting for over many years. I don’t even know how to put it into words, but I am grateful to my team, we achieved this together,” she said, moments after her country’s anthem was played.
For the host nation Rwanda, the event carried deep symbolic meaning. Xaveline Nirere, fresh from winning the 2025 national ITT championship, was the first rider to leave the start line.
She completed the course in 50 minutes and 7 seconds, placing 27th overall. Veteran Diane Ingabire, a three-time national champion competing in her fourth World Championships, crossed the line in 52:57 to finish 35th.
Though they did not challenge for the podium, the two Rwandan riders were warmly applauded for their determination in a race that featured 44 competitors. Their presence was seen as an inspiring marker of progress for women’s cycling in Rwanda and across Africa.
The bottom of the classification was completed by Uganda’s Trinitah Namukasa and two riders from Qatar, underscoring the growing diversity of nations now represented at this premier cycling event.
As the medals were awarded, Rwandans celebrated not just Reusser’s triumph but also the milestone of seeing their own athletes compete at the highest level of world cycling.
The participation of Nirere and Ingabire was hailed as a significant step forward in Rwanda’s sporting journey, demonstrating both ambition and resilience in the country’s young but fast-developing cycling program.
With the women’s ITT concluded, the championships shifted focus to the Men’s Individual Time Trial, where Rwanda’s Shemu Nsengiyumva opened proceedings.
The stage is set for a showdown between global heavyweights, with defending champion Remco Evenepoel looking to retain his crown against two-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar, among other contenders.
The Kigali championships, already marked by history and pride, promise even more drama as the week of world-class racing unfolds.
Top 10 Results – Women’s Elite ITT (31.2km)
Marlen Reusser (Switzerland) – 43’09”
Anna van der Breggen (Netherlands) – +52″
Demi Vollering (Netherlands) – +1’05”
Brodie Chapman (Australia) – +1’21”
Katrine Aalerud (Norway) – +1’24”
Antonia Niedermaier (Germany) – +1’29”
Juliette Labous (France) – +1’33”
Anna Henderson (Great Britain) – +1’38”
Chloe Dygert (USA) – +2’25”
Mireia Benito (Spain) – +2’32”
