"It's safe, it's a safe country" - President of Rwandan cycling federation expects smooth World Championships

2025 will be a big year for the African cycling with first-ever road cycling World Championships to be held on the continent this September. A brutal course with over 5.000 meters of climbing across 267.5 kilometers is sure to attract the brightest stars of cycling to compete for the rainbow stripes in Kigali.

"It's the biggest event in cycling world. So, for me as the President of the Federation, and for the Federation, the country, the continent, it's a pleasure," President of Rwandan cycling federation Samson Ndayishimiye told Cyclingnews. "We appreciate the good relationship we have with the UCI, and the rest of the world for giving us this opportunity and trusting us to deliver," he added.

UCI is hopeful of the event creating a lasting legacy in not just Rwanda, but whole Central Africa with a follow-up project of setting up a World Cycling Centre in Kigali. "In February, we opened the UCI satellite, the second one in the continent of Africa," Ndayishimiye said. "It's a good opportunity not only for the riders, but also for everybody else involved, commissaires, coaches, mechanics. All of that is part of the legacy we are looking at."

The first-ever African cycling World Championships are not welcomed with the same equivalent everywhere, with several national federations fearing the costs linked to a long trip. Denmark, Netherlands and Ireland already made it clear that they'd fly to Rwanda with limited selections.

"To be honest, I think realistically our sport is an expensive sport wherever we go," Ndayishimiye counters. "There was a World Championship in Australia, that's as far as I think they've gone. Now it's just around the corner, most of the countries in Europe, they have a chance to just jump on a plane, on a non-stop plane."

"So with the negativity, I think it's the unknown. It's the first time on the continent. We guarantee everyone that we are fair on the prices. Secondly, travel-wise, it should be easy for everyone. I can confirm that many countries have already booked their hotels – confirmed. Even Belgium has just confirmed that they're coming down with the whole team… That should show that everyone has done their homework and they're happy with where we are in the organisation."

At the start of the year, a civil war outsparked in neighbour-country the Democratic Republic of Congo. But the Tour du Rwanda in February proved that there are no security problems in Rwanda. "First of all, I'm in sport. So everything that is going on is nothing to do with me. One thing for sure though, the UCI has confirmed that the World Championships is taking place in Rwanda. It's safe, it's a safe country," Ndayishimiye said.