Egan Bernal latest big name to abandon Kigali 2025 road race as Pogacar & Del Toro put race under serious pressure

Egan Bernal was talking a big game before the men's elite road race at the 2025 Kigali World Championships earlier this week. Sadly for the former Grand Tour winner however, the Colombian's day is already done with more than 80km still to go.

The expectation was that the high-altitude at which the Kigali course will be raced could prove beneficial to Bernal. “Because it’s going to be at altitude, I’m feeling good and I’m really focusing on it,” he said. “I think I can perform well. There will be a lot of climbing too, so I just hope I can do something good with the altitude,” Bernal himself told FloBikes confidently. “Of course, he’s the favourite, the number one. But from my side, I have to think about myself, focus on my race, and try to do my best. It’s not about just going there, thinking about 2nd or 3rd. There are a lot of riders who can do a good race.”

As mentioned however, Bernal's plan hasn't come to fruition. With the aforementioned Pogacar and his trade teammate Isaac del Toro putting the sword to the peloton with a long range attack, that pressure has told on Bernal with the Colombian stepping off at around 85km still to go.

Bernal is far from the only big name to withdraw though. Among others, the likes of Julian Alaphilippe, Marc Soler, Matej Mohoric, Ilan van Wilder, Fred Wright and a whole host more of well-known names calling it quits well before the finale.