Rwanda cycling federation's President Aimable Bayingana (L) and PS at the Ministry for Sports John Ntigengwa (R) after formally submitting the bid to UCI President David Lappartient in Switzerland on Wednesday. / Courtesy

Rwanda has applied to host the 2025 UCI Road World Championships.

The host nations between 2019 and 2024 have already been determined.

If successful, Rwanda would be the first African country to host the world’s most prestigious cycling event.

UPDATE: #Rwanda has officially submitted the bid to host the 2025 UCI Road World Championships.



With host nations between 2019 and 2024 already known, Rwanda would be the first African country to host the world’s biggest cycling event since its inception in 1921. #Rwanda2025 pic.twitter.com/rNtNoaxXC7 — The New Times (Rwanda) (@NewTimesRwanda) September 11, 2019

A Rwandan delegation led by John Ntigengwa, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Sports and Culture, and Aimable Bayingana, the president of the local cycling federation, Ferwacy, were at the International Cycling Union (UCI) headquarters in Switzerland on Wednesday where they met UCI President David Lappartient and formally submitted the bid.

Rwanda faces competition from Morocco for the hosting rights.

In an exclusive interview with Times Sport, Bayingana first revealed Ferwacy’s plan to bid for the championships in April 2018, and UCI boss Lappartient would four months later visit the country during which he pledged his personal and UCI’s support to bring the championships to Africa.

Cycling in Rwanda has been on a remarkable rise over the last decade, with Tour du Rwanda defying the odds to become the country’s biggest sporting event and the biggest cycling race on the continent, up from the amateur event it was in 2008.

Globally, the race is renowned for how passionately it is spectated, with hundreds of thousands lining up the streets to watch and cheer on the riders.

Since February this year, Tour du Rwanda was upgraded from a 2.2 to a 2.1 UCI category race, making it only Africa’s second race with 2.1 badge, after Gabon’s La Tropicale Amissa Bongo.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com