The final day of the 2025 UCI Road World Championships crowned a modern icon of cycling to wrap up a historic edition held over eight days since last Sunday in Rwanda, Kigali.
Already winner of the Men Elite road race last year in Zurich (Switzerland), Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar doubled down with yet another dominant performance on the ascents of the “land of a thousand hills” attacking with more than 100km to go and covering the last 77 on his own to claim his second rainbow jersey.
In 2024, Pogačar became the third rider to win the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France and the Men Elite road race at the UCI World Championships. Again winner of the Tour in 2025, he is now the first rider to win both the Tour and the UCI Worlds two consecutive years.
“I was alone quite early, and I was fighting with myself like last year,” he reacted. “I’m so happy I made it. For sure, I doubted. The climbs were getting harder and harder every lap. The final laps were so hard… But you have to push through and hope for the best. It was an incredible experience all together and a successful week.”
Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel took the silver medal, 1’28’’ behind Pogačar, after claiming gold a week earlier in the individual time trial (ITT). Ireland’s Ben Healy rounded out the podium with a gap of 2’16’’.
An intense battle from the gun
Several nations showed intent to fly their colours at the front of the race and make it lively. Six riders made the early breakaway: Denmark’s Anders Foldager, France’s Julien Bernard, the Netherlands’ Menno Huising, Portugal’s Ivo Oliveira, Switzerland’s Fabio Christen, and Germany’s Marius Mayrhofer. Spain’s Raúl García Pierna made it a 7-man lead group after three laps of action also marked by a crash that took Belgium’s Ilan Van Wilder (bronze medallist last Sunday in the ITT) out of contention. In the meantime, France’s Julian Alaphilippe (winner in 2020 and 2021) withdrew early due to illness.
Delighting the local crowds with a series of accelerations, Rwanda’s Eric Manizabayo tried to join the early attackers. Tadej Pogačar’s Slovenia, Remco Evenepoel’s Belgium and Quinn Simmons’ USA covered his moves as they took the reins of the peloton to control the first laps. Isaac Del Toro’s Mexico also upped the ante on the 42.5km extension circuit, featuring the ascents of Mont Kigali (5.9km at 6.9%) and Mur de Kigali (0.4km at 11.0%).
Bernard dropped all his breakaway companions, but was reeled in as Pogačar applied pressure on the steeper sections of Mont Kigali. Only Spain’s Juan Ayuso followed him, and Del Toro bridged the gap on the following downhill, as the race entered the last 100km. The Mexican climber set a strong pace on the Mur de Kigali and Ayuso was dropped, leaving a stellar duo at the front with 90 kilometres to go.
Pogačar’s crowning
Pogačar and Del Toro worked together to push their advantage while Evenepoel suffered a couple of mechanicals. The Mexican youngster eventually struggled and the Slovenian icon dropped him on the cobbles of Kimihurura, with 67km, and just over four laps, remaining. Del Toro was caught and distanced by the chasers, a minute behind Pogačar.
In the Slovenian’s wake, Evenepoel dropped Denmark’s Mattias Skjelmose and Ireland’s Ben Healy with 21km to go. The Belgian took his second medal of the UCI Road World Championshpis in Kigali, after gold in the ITT. Healy got the better of Skjelmose to take bronze and Ireland’s first medal in the Men Elite road race since Sean Kelly in 1989.