Men's Elite road race World Championships 2025 startlist | Riders: Pogacar, Evenepoel, Roglic, Ayuso, Pidcock, Carapaz, Alaphilippe & more

The biggest day of the cycling year has arrived — and here you’ll find the full startlist for the 2025 UCI Road World Championships men’s elite road race. Kigali will provide the stage for the battle for the Rainbow Jersey, with a demanding course around the Rwandan capital promising a brutal showdown between the sport’s greatest names. Punchy climbs, searing heat and altitude will combine to ensure only the strongest survive, making this one of the most open and unpredictable editions in years.

The defending champion is Tadej Pogacar, who stormed to victory in Zurich last year to finally add the Rainbow Bands to his glittering palmares. He follows in the wheel tracks of Mathieu van der Poel and Remco Evenepoel as the most recent world champions. Julian Alaphilippe, too, remains fresh in memory as the man who doubled up in Imola (2020) and Leuven (2021). Each edition has thrown up a different tactical puzzle, but all crowned riders who combined climbing strength with audacity — a blueprint the Kigali course seems built to reward.
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Slovenia arrive with perhaps the most daunting squad: Pogacar returns to defend his jersey, but he will be flanked by Primoz Roglic and Matej Mohoric, giving the team unmatched depth and tactical variety. Belgium, as ever, bring firepower, with Evenepoel seeking to reclaim the jersey he has already worn twice. He is supported by Cian Uijtdebroeks, Ilan Van Wilder and Tiesj Benoot — a golden generation eager to deliver.

Spain pin their hopes on Juan Ayuso and Marc Soler, while Italy’s blend of climbers and puncheurs, from Giulio Ciccone to Andrea Bagioli, gives them options on a course of attrition. France will count on former champion Alaphilippe, while Tom Pidcock leads a young and hungry British squad.

Dark horses abound: Biniam Girmay spearheads Eritrea’s challenge, Jay Vine brings Australian optimism after his silver in the time trial, and Richard Carapaz could well thrive in the heat and altitude. With nations from every continent represented, the Kigali race is not only a fight for the Rainbow Jersey but also a landmark in cycling’s globalisation.

See the full startlist below!