Tadej Pogacar celebrates his victory in the Kigali Route World Cup (Rwanda) 2025.
Photo: Effect – Kim Ludbrook
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Kigali's wet heat or an elite cyclist group could with the ambition of Tadej Pogacar. The Slovenian consecrated again this Sunday as the world champion of the route, thus adding his second consecutive crown in the most prestigious test of the cycling calendar.
With the victory in the capital of Ruanda, Pogacar reached the triumph number 105 of his career and ratified, once again, that he is the great reference of this era. As he did in Zurich last year, he won the honor of carrying the rainbow shirt with an early attack.
The route, 267.5 kilometers and with 5,475 meters of accumulated positive unevenness, offered a considerable challenge. The circuit included short, but explosive increases, such as Kigali Golf (0.8 km at 8.1% with 14% ramps) and Kimihurura (1.3 km at 6.3% on cobblestones).
In the middle there was also the ascent to Mont Kigali (5.9 km at 6.9%), which at kilometer 163 fragmented the squad. The initial script pointed to a duel between Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel, world time trial champion, but the Slovenian decided to get ahead of any libretto.
Known for your distant attacks, Pogi He launched his 104 kilometers from finish. The movement left Evnepoel and Isaac del Toro, the Mexican jewel of the UAE Team Emirates, managed to follow the wheel. Juan Ayuso also tried to join, but it turned out after four kilometers of effort.
For more than twenty kilometers Pogacar and Del Toro marched in Tandem, until the young Latino gave in to the implacable rhythm of the defending champion. From there, the Slovenian fought a solo counter -counter against the rest of the world.
After six hours, 21 minutes and 20 seconds, the best cyclist today crossed the goal with his arms raised and the extended indices. It was a mesurated celebration, as if it were another day in the office for the new cannibal.
Behind, Evenepoel, victim of an inopportune bicycle change and the superiority of the rival, reached 1:48 minutes, resigned to second place and with obvious gestures of frustration. The Irish Ben Healy completed the podium, ahead of the Danish Mattias Skjelmose.
For Latin Americans the day left contrasts. Del Toro signed a remarkable seventh place, confirming his progression as one of the great jugglers. The best of Colombians was the Huilense Harold Tejada, fourteenth, who was also the only one to complete the race.
The Cundinamarqués Egan Bernal, leader of the Colombian team, could not shine as expected and left the competition in the absence of 54 kilometers. They also got out of the bicycle, although before, their countryman Brandon Rivera and the Antioquia Wálter Vargas.
The rainbow shirt will continue in the hands of Pogacar, who in 2026 will seek to defend it in Montreal, Canada, where the route World Cup will celebrate its 93 edition. The Slovenian, just 27 years old, goes to its own rhythm on the route towards consolidating itself as the best cyclist in history.
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