For Rwanda, this is more than a sporting event. It is a national milestone, a continental celebration, and a powerful symbol of how sport can transform identity, inspire unity, and propel economies forward.
The Union Cycliste Internationale's decision to award the hosting rights to Rwanda in 2021 signals a new era for the sport. It acknowledges Rwanda's proven capacity as a cycling nation, thanks in part to the Tour du Rwanda. The race has steadily grown in prestige since its inception in 1988, transforming into a UCI Africa Tour-ranked event that today attracts professional riders from across the globe.
When Rwanda beat Morocco to secure hosting rights, it was a clear signal that Africa is ready to stand on the global cycling stage. Just as South Africa's 2010 FIFA World Cup redefined global perceptions of Africa's capacity, Kigali 2025 promises to do the same for cycling.
More than 330 million viewers across 50 broadcasters will tune in, many seeing Rwanda for the first time. They will discover not only a country of breathtaking landscapes and modern skylines, but also a people whose love of cycling is as steep and enduring as their hills.
In Rwanda, geography becomes theatre. Known as the 'land of a thousand hills,' Kigali's undulating roads are more than a backdrop; they are a protagonist. With climbs totalling over 5,000 metres, the championships will deliver one of the most dramatic and challenging races in living memory. Riders will not only battle each other but also the terrain itself, where resilience is rewarded and only the strongest prevail.
For Rwandans, this feels fitting. The hills that have long shaped their daily lives will now shape a historic global race.
Economic growth on two wheels
The championships promise to deliver an economic windfall. The competition is expected to draw over 7,000 visitors, filling hotels, eateries, and markets. This boost complements Rwanda's remarkable recent growth: tourism revenue rose 36% in 2023, reaching $636 million, while the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) sector jumped 52% to $95 million.
This momentum aligns with the government's Sports Hub Strategy, which aims to grow annual sports tourism income from Rwf 1 billion to Rwf 30 billion within five years. Rwanda's partnerships with Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich and its hosting of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) playoffs have already demonstrated the power of sport as a driver of investment, jobs, and visibility. UCI 2025 will be the boldest showcase yet.
But beyond numbers lies the heartbeat of the event. Just three decades after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Rwanda's ability to host the world's premier cycling event sends a message of peace, resilience, and progress. As Rwandan cycling legends have observed, this is an 'incredible moment of pride', one that will inspire young athletes and elevate Rwanda's place in international sport.
Along Rwanda's roads, children will wave flags, cheer riders, and dream of becoming champions themselves. This human story of a young girl in Musanze inspired to join a cycling club, or a boy in Rwamagana, believing he too could wear the rainbow jersey, is the true legacy.
Women, too, are stepping into the spotlight. Rwanda's growing investment in women's cycling ensures that Kigali 2025 will inspire not only the next generation of male riders but also young women who see cycling as their future.
Initiatives such as the Bike for Future project, supported by Plan International and the International Olympic Committee, are specifically designed to empower young Rwandan women through cycling. The programme provides bicycles, professional training, and vocational skills such as bicycle mechanics, opening the door to both sporting success and income-generating opportunities.
Africa's cycling future
The UCI's Africa 2025 Strategy is already creating pathways: from training camps to the inaugural Rwanda Junior Tour in 2024. Rwanda also hosts the UCI World Cycling Centre Africa, ensuring that Kigali 2025 is not a one-off spectacle but a springboard for long-term development.
For the continent, this is a turning point. Just as the Tour de France is inseparable from France's identity, Kigali 2025 could ignite an African cycling renaissance, nurturing talent, building infrastructure, and giving Africa its rightful place in the world's cycling map.
When the peloton weaves through Kigali's hills in September 2025, the world will see more than a race. It will see a nation whose journey mirrors cycling itself, defined by endurance, resilience, and the ability to rise after every climb.
And as the competition draws closer, the rainbow jersey may go to one champion, but the true victory will belong to Rwanda and to a continent whose time has come.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
