UCI presents brutally tough 2025 World Championships in Rwanda: 5,500 (!) meters of climbing, including climbing time trial

For those who thought the road races at the World Cycling Championships in Zürich were hard, think again! It was already known for some time that the 2025 World Championships would be held in Rwanda, Africa, and on Thursday, the routes for the time trials and road races were revealed. Climbers are in for a treat!

The elite men's road race will be held on September 28, with the start at 9:20 AM local time. This early start is no coincidence, as the 267.5-kilometer course and no less than 5,475 (!) meters of climbing mean the riders will only finish around 4:35 PM. The start and finish are scheduled in Kigali, with the Mont Kigali (5.9 kilometers at 5.6%) being a major challenge, midway through the race.

A local circuit of 13.6 kilometers will make up the bulk of the 2025 World Championships. The 15.1-kilometer loop will be ridden nine times initially, and after the middle loop, it will be covered another six times in the final phase. The Côte de Kimihurura (1.3 kilometers at 6.3%) and Côte de Kigali Golf (800 meters at 8.1%) will be key points in this loop. In the long middle loop, in addition to Mont Kigali, the Côte de Péage (1.8 kilometers at 5.9%) and the Wall of Kigali (400 meters at 11.0%) will be tackled.

The women will also have to brace themselves for 2025. With 164.6 kilometers and 3,350 meters of climbing, this could very well be the toughest one-day race ever organized for women. The women won’t ride the middle loop, but will do eleven laps of 15.1 kilometers on the final circuit.

Read more below the photo.

Time trials 2025 World Championships also favor climbers

The time trials at the World Championships in Rwanda are certainly suited for men and women who can climb. The men will cover 40.6 kilometers with 680 meters of climbing around Kigali. The Côte de Nyanza (2.5 kilometers at 5.8% and 6.6 kilometers at 3.5%) will be tackled twice, once from each side. Then, they'll descend to the Côte de Péage (2.0 kilometers at 6.0%) and finish uphill after the climb of the Côte de Kimihurura.

The women will ride the same opening section, but after the first Côte de Nyanza, they won’t descend all the way down to the valley floor. As a result, the second ascent of Nyanza will be shorter than for the men. The Côte de Péage is not part of the women's course, bringing their total distance to 31.2 kilometers, including 460 meters of climbing.

For the courses for juniors, U23s and the Team Mixed Relay, check the official website of the 2025 World Championships organization.