Tadej Pogacar is as soon as once more the king of the rainbow jersey – and he did it in basic Pogacar fashion. A brutal, sensible one-man present on the slopes of Mount Kigali sealed his second straight World Championship. The Slovenian made his transfer 100km out on the slopes of Mount Kigali, went clear with greater than sixty kilometers nonetheless to trip and by no means regarded again, leaving a shell-shocked peloton – and a really unfortunate Remco Evenepoel – chasing shadows.
Pez-Followers – Now we have tons extra from Rwanda coming together with Mike’s Roadside report, and our personal take a look at the important thing moments and questions across the race – so keep tuned!
• See the Race video is on the backside
2025 World Championship Highway Race: Kigali, Rwanda
The scene was Kigali, Rwanda – the first-ever African Worlds – and the course was nothing in need of savage. 267.5 kilometers, 5,475 meters of climbing, and a finale full of leg-breaking ramps: the Mount Kigali (5.9km at 6.9%), the cobbled Kimihurura, and the notorious Kigali Wall (400m at 11%). It was tailored for a champion, and Pogacar delivered.
The early motion was chaotic, with Pink Walters kicking issues off for Grenada earlier than a stable breakaway fashioned with Huising, Mayrhofer, Foldager, Oliveira, Christen, and Bernard. The French even tried to launch Julian Alaphilippe into the combo, however the two-time champ fizzled early. Behind, Belgium and Slovenia stored the leash quick, with Florian Vermeersch and Domen Novak grinding out the tempo.
Drama hit on the midway level: a high-speed crash took down Ilan Van Wilder and Marc Soler – each out. Belgium’s plan immediately regarded shakier, and Evenepoel misplaced a key ally.
Then got here Mount Kigali. UAE stacked the entrance, and the tempo cut up the sector to ribbons. Pogacar’s first dig had Evenepoel clinging on, however when Isaac Del Toro rolled throughout and lit it up on the Wall of Kigali, the writing was on the stones. Ayuso cracked, Del Toro fought, and Pogacar soared. With 66 kilometers to go, he punched clear and settled into one other one in every of his legendary lengthy solos.
Evenepoel? It was a nightmare. Not as soon as, however twice he needed to swap bikes, dropping valuable minutes. At one level he was flailing, hammering his bars in frustration.
Catastrophe struck once more with 76 kilometers nonetheless to trip. Remco Evenepoel, already chasing shadows, was waving frantically for the crew automobile – a second bike change in the course of his World Championship battle. What ought to have been his launchpad towards Pogacar immediately become a roadside nightmare, costing valuable seconds and sapping momentum. For Belgium, the rainbow dream was slipping additional out of attain.
With about 64 kilometers nonetheless on the board, Remco Evenepoel clawed his means again to the peloton and wasted no time stamping his authority on the entrance. The chase was on. Up the cobbled ramps of Kimihurura, a harmful group snapped into place – Evenepoel, Pidcock, Healy, Skjelmose, and Hindley – all heavy hitters, all with eyes on the rainbow.
However Remco being Remco, he clawed his means again into the chase, dragged a bunch into some form of order, and nonetheless had sufficient to distance everybody however Pogacar.
By the bell lap, it was carried out. Pogacar was flying solo, his rainbow dream already a actuality. Behind, Evenepoel emptied himself to lock down silver – salvaging a rainbow weekend after his ITT gold – whereas Ben Healy, the feisty Irishman, snatched bronze from Mattias Skjelmose.
And so, Pogacar joins an elite membership: Ronsse, Van Steenbergen, Van Looy, Bugno, Bettini, and Alaphilippe – all double World Champions in back-to-back years. Kigali will likely be remembered for a lot of issues – the eagerness of the followers, the grit of the course – however above all, for one more majestic Pogacar masterpiece.
Outcomes 2025 92nd World Championships ME – Highway Race (WC)
At some point race » Kigali › Kigali (267.5km) – Courtesy of ProCyclingStats.com
Observe: Solely 30 riders completed the race- right here is the total checklist.
Like PEZ? Why not subscribe to our weekly e-newsletter to obtain updates and reminders on what’s cool in street biking?
