Afghanistan Women’s Road Championships from the inside

Riding for all Afghan women

On 26-28 June 2025, the Afghanistan Women’s Road Championships were held in Les Herbiers, France, thanks to a collaboration between the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), its World Cycling Centre (WCC) and the French Cycling Federation (FFC).

These were no ordinary National Championships. The four competing Afghans – all refugees living in Europe - raced alongside their French counterparts participating in their own National Championships, but with a separate classification.

It was their second National Championships in recent years. As Afghan women cannot race in their own country, the UCI and UCI WCC had already offered them the opportunity in 2022, a year after carrying out evacuation operations following the Taliban’s rise to power. Those last National Championships three years ago were organised in Aigle, Switzerland, in collaboration with the Afghanistan Cycling Federation, the Tour du Pays de Vaud Organising Committee and the Municipality of Aigle. Fifty refugee athletes competed in the road race on that occasion.

They were fewer in Les Herbiers, but included all three road race medallists from 2022:

  • Fariba Hashimi, 22: defending National Champion who is now a pro cyclist with Ceratizit Pro Cycling Team

  • Yuldoz Hahimi, 24: she came second to her sister in 2022 and is a member of the UCI World Cycling Centre’s WCC Team (a UCI Women’s Continental Team), based in Aigle

  • Zahra Rezayee, 22: the Italian-based rider took bronze at the last National Championships.

  • Samira Ehrari, 39, competed in the road race only, travelling to France from Copenhagen,Denmark, where she rides when she can after her full-time job as a global project planner.

We followed the four athletes before, during and after racing in Les Herbiers…

Time trial race day: mixed emotions

Fariba, Yuldoz and Zahra are up early on the day of the individual time trial (Thursday 26 June) and are alone in the otherwise silent hotel breakfast room. A thirty-minute drive from the race venue, the hotel is nestled in a tranquil rural setting and will serve as the Afghan team’s haven throughout the Championships.

As well as UCI WCC staff taking care of logistics, an expert team of French staff is attending to the athletes’ every need: Sport Director Steven, mechanic Vincent and massage therapist Vanessa, who also prepares their bidons and food.

While the athletes get ready for the time trial at the hotel, team staff have already set up camp near the start.

By 11h30, everyone is on site, and as the women warm up on their rollers in scorching heat, the atmosphere is relaxed. There is a lot of laughing, perhaps tinged with nervousness. Curious onlookers pause to watch. Before her warm-up Zahra observes the scene quietly from the boot of one of the team cars. But she quickly gives a thumbs up - and a hint of a smile - when asked if she’s OK.

The 22-year-old would have every reason to be a little apprehensive. At 12h48, she will be the first of the three Afghans down the ramp - two long minutes before Yuldoz - and indeed the first of the entire day, French Championships included.

A dropped chain as she prepares to mount the ramp to the start does nothing to soothe the nerves, but the reactivity of Vincent saves the day.

It’s a tough 26.5km course with most of the 400m elevation gain coming in the second half. The three Afghans finish in the reverse order they started, with Fariba taking the national jersey in front of her sister, and Zahra taking bronze.

There are few outward signs of celebration. No screams of jubilation. Fariba’s victory air-punch is discrete to say the least. As the three medal-winners take refuge in the cool of the team cars to await the prize-giving ceremony, the atmosphere is bordering on subdued. That is largely due to fatigue. But not only. It is a National Championship held in exceptional circumstances. The French public has been enthusiastic and supportive, but there are no Afghans on the side of the road. In the few hours between the race and the medal ceremony, the three women spend most of the time on their phones fielding messages and calls from their absent friends and family.

But as Afghanistan’s national anthem rings out in the early evening, realisation of their achievement appears to dawn. The medal ceremony takes place in front of large crowds and a horde of photographers. The smiles are back, they accord a few interviews, but are visibly relieved to get back to their hotel. It’s been a long day.

Friday recon and press interviews

Friday is devoted to the course recon for the following day’s road race, as well as interviews with different media. Samira has arrived from Copenhagen and the team is complete.

An informal press conference is organised at the hotel, with several journalists making the trip from race headquarters in Les Herbiers. The four young women are obliging, eager to tell their story, shortening their afternoon rest to talk to journalists.

Dinner on the hotel terrace follows. Everyone appears relaxed and there is easy chatter with members of a French team lodging in the same hotel.

The importance of the occasion is highlighted by the arrival of some distinguished supporters, who will be at their side for the rest of the weekend: Secretary of the Afghan National Olympic Committee Mohammad Yonus Popalzay, International Olympic Committee member Samira Asghari, and finally Masomah Ali Zada, member of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team at Tokyo 2020, Chef de Mission for the team at Paris 2024, and member of the IOC Athletes’ Commission.

Road race: satisfaction all round

It’s going to be a long and hard afternoon of racing on Saturday 28 June. Due to the brutally high temperatures, race organisers have reduced the distance to 115km. Vanessa prepares ice to slip down the back of their jerseys while Steven gives them a final pre-race brief, translated by Masomah. “Thank you for this week. I’ve had a wonderful time,” he finishes as they make their way to the start.

The women are racing against each other for the title of National Champion, but they are a close-knit group. The proof is that not long after the start, Fariba drops to the back of the bunch to lend a helping hand to Zahra.

Then with a wave to the TV camera she makes her way back up the peloton to race her own race. It is a clear victory for the younger Hashimi sister who is in the main bunch of French riders until two laps from the end when she slows to take water at the same time as some of the riders place an attack up front. Yuldoz is also in the mix for a good part of the race until the constant attacks wear her down. She finishes solo to take second place.

As for Zahra and Samira, they do not get to the finish line. Zahra’s initial tears of disappointment eventually disappear. She takes the bronze medal. Samira, meanwhile, declares herself happy to have been part of the experience.

UCI President David Lappartient is at the finish to congratulate all four athletes, present the gold medal to Fariba, and underline the “message of hope” these Championships represent.

Takeaways from the Afghanistan Women’s Road Championships:

Fariba: “I didn’t think I would win two jerseys because my sister is very strong. My national jersey reminds me I’m from Afghanistan and I should not give up. I keep going for my people, for a good future.”

Yuldoz: “Our biggest victory is that we ride our bikes. Thanks to the support of the UCI and the World Cycling Centre, I can say I am a professional cyclist.”

Zahra: “My bike is my love. Cycling is my heart. I won’t give up.”

Samira: “It’s both an honour and a heartbreak to race in France. An honour because I get to represent Afghan women on an international stage. Heartbreak, because I should have been able to do this in my own country.”

Discover more about the athletes and the event in this video: