Sunday’s Kigali 2025 elite men’s time trial was a highly-anticipated showdown between Remco Evenepoel and Tadej Pogačar, but in the end the Belgian took a natural hat trick of world titles in a dominant fashion. Pogačar, passed by Evenepoel, had to settle for fourth. Canadian Michael Leonard had a fine ride, sitting in the hot seat for about 10 minutes before finishing 12th.
Leonard in the starting arena.
The Course
Nine kilometres longer than the women’s race, the men’s route held all three of the climbs in the first time trial–Côte de Nyanza from both sides, cobbled Côte de Kimihurura–but it also included 1.9-km, 6.6 percent Côte de Peage.
A tough chrono course. Image by La FlammeRouge
The Contenders
Without two-time champion Filippo Ganna in Rwanda, it looked to be a contest between double winner Evenepoel and Pogačar. Stefan Kung and Australian duo Luke Plapp and recent Vuelta a Espana mountains winner Jay Vine were also in the mix.
The Canadians were Leonard and Laurent Gervais. Leonard was tenth in this April’s Itzulia Basque Country time trial.
To a drumming fanfare, the first to roll down the ramp was Rwandan Shemu Nsengiyumva.
Canada’s Laurent Gervais takes on the tough elite men’s time trial on the first day of the Kigali, Rwanda World Road Championships.
An early benchmark was Belgian Florian Vermeersch’s 54:49. Leonard cracked Vermeersch’s best time at Checkpoints 2 and 3, but another Belgian, Ilan Van Wilder, in turn eclipsed the Canadian’s times. After clipping Vermeersch’s top time, Leonard didn’t have time to settle into the hot seat before Van Wilder bumped him off. Plappy popped Leonard down to third.
Evenepoel immediately followed Pogačar. The Slovenian was a second behind Isaac del Toro at Checkpoint 1. But Evenepoel was better than the Mexican by 44 seconds.
With Remco thumping his way to a third consecutive rainbow jersey, the question for Canadian Cycling Magazine was how high Leonard would be in the final reckoning.
The Belgian out for a rip in Kigali.
Pogačar was behind both Evenepoel and Vine at Checkpoint 2. Could the Belgian catch the Slovenian?
Jay Vine took the lead from Van Wilder. With Pogačar within hailing distance, Evenepoel seemed to ease up. But on the cobbled climb the green-clad Slovenian came to heel.
Evenepoel uses the Kimihurura to pass Pogacar.
On the podium two Belgians stood with an Aussie.
2025 Rwanda World Championships, Elite Men’s Time Trial
Gold) Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) 49:46
Silver) Jay Vine (Australia) +1:14
Bronze) Ilan Van Wilder (Belgium) +2:46
12) Michael Leonard (Canada) +3:53