The UCI Men’s Elite Road Race is underway in Kigali, with former winners and first-time riders, especially from Africa and Rwanda, putting on a show on the final day of the competition.
The 165 riders from around the world tackled a grueling 267.5 km race, covering cobblestone roads and steep hills, including Mount Kigali.
At various points in the race, thousands of Rwandans lined up along the barricades to watch former winners like Tadej Pogacar (SLO) in 2024, Mathieu van der Poel (NED) in 2023, Remco Evenepoel (BEL) in 2022, and Julian Alaphilippe of France (in 2020 and 2021).
The spectators also cheered on their own riders: MANIZABAYO Eric, MASENGESHO Vainqueur, BYUKUSENGE Patrick, MUHOZA Eric, NKUNDABERA Eric, and NSENGIYUMVA Shemu, who were trailing in the race but raised hopes of a local rider winning the championship.
Showtime:
The first breakaway was made by Red Walters, a professional cyclist from Grenada (GD) known for competing in UCI events.
Swiss, German, and Portuguese riders broke away from the main peloton, with riders like A. Foldgar (DEN), M. Huising (NED), I. Oliveira (POR), F. Christen (SUI), and M. Mayrhofer (GER) taking the lead.
Julian Bernard (FRA) led the second chase, while Tegshbayar Batsaikhan (Mongolia) and Julian Alaphilippe (France) took the lead in the second peloton, with Slovenians controlling the race in the early stages.
With 242 km remaining, Alaphilippe expressed that the race was not going well for him and decided not to push further, a decision that became evident with 228.6 km left as he struggled with his health.
Rwanda Showoff:
Rwanda’s Eric MANIZABAYO surprised everyone with an attack at the Kigali golf course junction with 211.6 km left, leading the second chase peloton for a brief moment before dropping back into the middle.
As riders, including Africans from Mali, dropped out, the Australians maintained control of the second chase with determination, despite some dropouts.
At 183 km, Eric NKUNDABERA (Rwa) also dropped out, looking exhausted despite being on home ground, where he would have been expected to perform better.
William Barta (USA) joined the Sierra Leone team that had dropped out, remaining proud to represent Africa. Felix Engelhardt (Germany) also abandoned the race due to exhaustion, leaving only three Germans remaining out of four.
With less than 169 km left, the Australian team, which had fielded 8 riders, saw some dropouts but maintained a good lead in the second chase, as they are known for their attacking style.
Teams from Canada, Norway, and Belgium were not threatened by the Australian attack, maintaining their positions in the second chase, while the Mexican team had three riders in the middle.
Olivier Knight (Germany) faced a seat loosening issue and decided to abandon the race, while a Slovenian rider faced a similar problem but took it easy and enjoyed the repairs with a smile.
With 130.1 km remaining, Swiss rider Mauro Schmid broke away with a lead, but it was too early to determine the eventual winner as Jordan Jegat (France) pushed hard.
The race remains unpredictable, but the climb on Mount Kigali (6 laps to the finish line) will likely determine the ultimate winner.
