The competition saw Söderqvist dominate the course, finishing more than a minute ahead of New Zealand's Nate Pringle, who took home the silver, and France's Maxime Decomble, who secured the bronze.
At just 22 years old, Söderqvist's victory marked the culmination of years of hard work and dedication. He posted a remarkable time of 38:24.43, averaging 48.741 km/h on the 31.2 km course.
Racing for Lidl-Trek Future Racing, Söderqvist had his eyes set on this event all year. His gold medal in Kigali marked the culmination of an intense season of preparation, and he was overjoyed with the achievement.
"This is the one thing in the U23 category that I care about the most, so it was preparations all year round to make this one as good as possible," he said after the race.
The win in Rwanda was a personal milestone for Söderqvist, who had previously earned silver in Zurich (2024) and placed seventh in Stirling (2023). This victory, however, propels him into the elite ranks of U23 time trialists and solidifies his status as one of the sport's rising stars.
A strong silver for Pringle
New Zealand's Nate Pringle had an impressive showing in his first World Championships, earning the silver medal with a time of 39:28.39, just 1:03.96 behind Söderqvist.
The 2025 national under-23 time trial champion, Pringle demonstrated his strength and potential, finishing ahead of some of the most accomplished riders in the field. His solid performance throughout the season, including a 7th-place finish in the general classification at the Sibiu Cycling Tour earlier this year, confirms his rising prominence in the world of cycling.
Decomble's narrow defeat for silver
Maxime Decomble, the French national under-23 time trial champion, was just a fraction away from claiming silver. With a time of 39:28.56, Decomble finished 0.17 seconds behind Pringle, taking the bronze.
Despite the razor-thin margin, Decomble's third-place finish was a testament to his skill and determination. The 2024 French champion has consistently been a strong competitor, with top results in the Tour de l'Avenir and Alpes Isère Tour.
The top performers in the U23 time trial
The top 10 finishers in the Men's U23 Individual Time Trial at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships were as follows:
1. Jakob Söderqvist (Sweden) â€" 38:24.43
2. Nate Pringle (New Zealand) â€" 39:28.39 (+1:03.96)
3. Maxime Decomble (France) â€" 39:28.56 (+1:04.13)
4. Lorenzo Mark Finn (Italy) â€" 39:33.06 (+1:08.63)
5. Callum Thornley (Great Britain) â€" 39:36.34 (+1:11.91)
6. Jonas Walton (Canada) â€" 39:51.34 (+1:26.91)
7. Mateusz Gajdulewicz (Poland) â€" 39:52.81 (+1:28.38)
8. Jonathan Vervenne (Belgium) â€" 39:57.53 (+1:33.10)
9. Héctor Álvarez Martínez (Spain) â€" 40:04.62 (+1:40.19)
10. Hamish McKenzie (Australia) â€" 40:12.79 (+1:48.36)
How Rwandan riders performed
Two Rwandan riders, Samuel Niyonkuru and Etienne Tuyizere, took part in the U23 time trial, representing their nation at home in Kigali. Niyonkuru finished in 28th place with a time of 43:15.35, while Tuyizere secured 30th place with a time of 43:36.51.
Though they didn't place near the top, both riders showed remarkable spirit and perseverance, competing on one of the sport's grandest stages.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
