Tadej Pogačar confirmed his status as one of the – if not the – most formidable force in modern road cycling, claiming a second consecutive world championship title in Rwanda’s capital on Sunday.
The Slovenian stunned his rivals by launching a searing attack on Mount Kigali more than 100km from the finish and never looked back, first riding together with Isaac Del Toro, then going solo for the final 66km to claim the rainbow jersey once again.
Chaos from the first pedal stroke
Grenada’s Red Walters with the first attack of the Men Elite Road Race in Kigali
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The elite men’s race, totalling 267.5km long with almost 6,000m of climbing, began ferociously on Kigali’s twisting city circuit. Grenada’s Red Walters went clear almost immediately, but the opening break was short-lived.
Soon after, a powerful move reshaped the front: Germany’s Marius Mayrhofer, Denmark’s Anders Foldanger, the Netherlands’ Menno Huising, Portugal’s Ivo Oliveira and Switzerland’s Fabio Christen built a slender lead before France forced an early reshuffle.
French aggression then came through a probing attack by Julian Alaphilippe’s, followed by Julien Bernard’s bridge to the leaders. Spain’s Raúl García Pierna also made contact.
For a while, this group dangled at about two minutes while the main field, policed by Slovenia and Belgium, home to the pre-race favourites Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel, restored order behind.
Crashes and regrouping
Belgium and Slovenia controlling the Men Elite Road race in Kigali.
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The speed and narrow roads soon took their toll. Britain’s Bjorn Koerdt, Spain’s Marc Soler and Belgium’s Ilan Van Wilder, a key Evenepoel lieutenant, crashed out. Their absence disrupted the chase dynamic and momentarily slowed the pack. Sensing danger, the Belgians and Slovenians reasserted control, trimming the gap to 2:30.
As the race rolled into its middle phase, the break splintered. By the time the peloton approached the decisive new 42.5km loop beyond the main Kigali circuit featuring the towering Mount Kigali and the cobbled Mur de Kigali, the leaders were struggling to hold just 1:35 over the bunch.
A first decisive move on Mount Kigali by Pogačar, Ayuso and Del Toro
Tadej Pogačar attacks on Mount Kigali
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Mount Kigali, a brutal climb with punishing gradients, triggered the race-winning moment. Julien Bernard crested the slopes alone, but behind him the favourite struck. Pogačar surged with effortless force, bridging to Bernard just before the summit. Only Spain’s Juan Ayuso could initially match him, Mexico’s Isaac Del Toro clawed across on the descent.
Remco Evenepoel, one of the race favourites, at first seemed to be able to follow, but then suddenly had to let go of a lot of riders before him. He later claimed to have had cramps at the worst time possible, due to technical issues after hitting a bump in the road.
No more Juan Ayuso at the top of Mur de Kigali
Isaac Del Toro and Tadej Pogačar on Mur de Kigali
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After an amazing descent of Mount Kigali, the trio then hit the dreaded Mur de Kigali, a steep, cobbled monster, flanked by an amazing crowd cheering on the three race leaders. Isaac Del Toro pushed hard, causing Juan Ayuso to falter and drop, leaving Pogačar and Del Toro alone at the front. At 90km to go, their advantage was 44 seconds over a disorganised peloton as Belgium tried to marshal a chase.
Further mechanical misfortune for Evenepoel and a marvelous solo by Pogačar
Remco Evenepoel on the side of the road waiting for a new bike
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Evenepoel’s camp was hit by further misfortune: the Belgian star was forced to stop twice for bike changes on the Kigali cobbles, with visible frustration on his face. Up front, Del Toro began to fade, and when the race returned to the main city loop, Pogačar ruthlessly pressed on alone with more than 60 km to go.
Behind, Ireland’s Ben Healey sparked fresh life into the pursuit, linking up with Denmark’s Mikkel Honoré and France’s Pavel Sivakov, briefly closing to within 35 seconds. Yet the Slovenian’s tempo proved unmatchable. Their effort collapsed; the chase reformed and fell further back.
Evenepoel fights back and leads the chase
Remco Evenepoel leads the chase on Tadej Pogačar in front of Ben Healey, Mattias Skjelmose and Thomas Pidcock
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Remco Evenepoel, having found his typical defiance again, launched a long-range counterattack and fought his way back to the chasing group and into medal contention. By then, though, Pogačar’s lead had soared beyond reach, over a minute clear and still climbing powerfully.
Even though Evenepoel still had some help from his fellow riders, an amazing 1 vs 1 fight started between the two champions, but in the end, there was no stopping an amazing Tadej Pogačar.
Tadej Pogačar’s historic triumph
Tadej Pogačar crosses the line on the KCC Roundabout and becomes the 2025 Men Elite Road Race World Champion
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Pogačar stopped the clock at 6:21:20, arms aloft as Kigali’s roaring fans crowned him world champion again.
“I was chasing this for the whole year… I am so happy to retain this beautiful jersey. It’s been an amazing last few days, an incredible experience, I am super happy and super proud of this week,” said Tadej Pogačar, proud to defend his crown in Kigali.
On the massive fan support, he added: “We had a lot of supporters… I was really happy to have so many of them.”
The victory makes Pogačar the first rider ever to win both the Tour de France and the men’s road world title in back-to-back years, a feat that underlines his place among the sport’s all-time greats. Rwanda’s hilly capital delivered a race of chaos, courage, and history. Tadej Pogačar simply mastered it all.
The final showdown between Evenepoel, Healey and Skjelmose
Remco Evenepoel, Ben Healey and Mattias Skjelmose fight for silver and bronze
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The gold had been decided, attention then shifted to the battle for silver and bronze. With an attack on Côte de Golf Kigali in the second to last round, Remco Evenepoel’s claimed a hard-fought second place, 1 minute and 28 seconds behind the unstoppable Slovenian.
In the final lap, on the same Côte de Golf Kigali, Ben Healey found one last kick to outpower Denmark’s Mattias Skjelmose and secure Ireland’s first men’s elite road race medal in years.
Pride and pain for Rwanda as all six riders abandon gruelling race
Sengiyumva Shemu, Manizabayo Eric, Muhoza Eric, Masengesho Vainqueur, Byukusenge Patrick, and Nkundabera Eric greeting the crowd
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For host nation Rwanda, the day brought pride and heartbreak. Six Rwandans took the start among the 165 riders: Nsengiyumva Shemu, Manizabayo Eric, Muhoza Eric, Masengesho Vainqueur, Byukusenge Patrick, and Nkundabera Eric. They fought hard over the punishing Kigali climbs, cheered on by passionate local fans, but each dropped out at various stages of the demanding course.
Men’s Elite Road Race: Top 10 Results
- Tadej Pogačar (SLO): 6:21:20
- Remco Evenepoel (BEL): + 1:28
- Ben Healy (IRL): + 2:16
- Mattias Skjelmose (DEN): + 2:53
- Toms Skujiņš (LAT): + 6:41
- Giulio Ciccone (ITA): + 6:47
- Isaac Del Toro Romero (MEX): + 6:47
- Juan Ayuso Pesquera (ESP): + 6:47
- Afonso Eulalio (POR): + 7:06
- Thomas Pidcock (GBR): + 9:05
In the end, only 30 riders finished the race, a testament to its brutal difficulty. Eritrea’s Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier was the last man to cross the line, the sole African finisher.
The results marked a thrilling conclusion to the week-long UCI World Championships in Kigali, the first-ever held in Africa. The event drew global attention and showcased Rwanda’s growing reputation as a premier cycling destination.
The closing ceremony was attended by President Paul Kagame, His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco, and UCI President David Lappartient, who presented medals to the finalists.
