The 2025 Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Road World Championships is approaching rapidly, leaving athletes with little time before they arrive in Kigali, Rwanda, in September. This will be the first time Rwanda has hosted this special event, but the location is familiar in the world of cycling, most notably, the Tour du Rwanda.
Cycling is growing exponentially in terms of its reach, and with Rwanda already having plenty of experience with cycling, Kigali is the perfect location for this acclaimed event. The UCI Road World Championships present a long-standing gathering of the world’s most elite cyclists to compete on the International stage.
While the first Amateur UCI Road World Championships took place in 1921 in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, the professional race wasn’t introduced until 1927, when Germany hosted what would soon become a highly anticipated annual event. This year, for the 98th time, world-class cyclists will be competing in the famous race, but one prominent athlete recently announced that he has chosen not to compete in the annual event.
The UCI Road World Championships begin on September 26, but 30-year-old Belgian Wout van Aert will not be in attendance. According to Team Visma – Lease a Bike, he will end his season after he completes his final races: Deutschland Tour, Bretagne Classic-Ouest de France, GP de Québec, DP de Montréal, and his last event of the season, the Super 8 Classic on September 20. The elite racer will be missed in the field, but such an absence is indicative of the toll the long professional racing season places on cyclists.
“It’s important to still set some important goals for the last part of the season, and with this calendar, we’ve certainly succeeded,” said Van Aert in the Team Visma statement. “At the same time, after such a packed season, it’s crucial not to overdo it. That’s why we’ve decided to end my season after the Super 8 Classic and skip both the World Championships and European Championships.”
📆 𝗪𝗼𝘂𝘁’𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲
🗣️ Wout van Aert: “It’s important to still set important goals for the last part of the season, and with this calendar, we’ve certainly succeeded. At the same time, after such a packed season, it’s crucial not to overdo it.” (1/2)
— Team Visma | Lease a Bike (@vismaleaseabike) August 8, 2025
The UCI World Rankings currently show Van Aert at No. 4, signifying him as one of the top cyclists in the world. Although the end of his season is coming up quickly, it’s clear that he’s not done putting in the work. As with any sport, particularly at the professional level, the overall goal is to enjoy the journey of competing and finish each competition strong. For many cyclists this year, 2025 has certainly been a memorable season for the books.