Great Britain’s Harry Hudson produced a stunning 36km solo ride and made history as the first ever British rider to win the junior men’s road race at the Road World Championships in Kigali, Rwanda on Friday.
After just under three hours of racing, filled with drama right up to the final few kilometres, Hudson arrived at the line alone, having launched his counter-attack as the final man from the early breakaway, Beckham Drake (USA), was caught – and it proved a perfect move.
Johan Blanc (France) claims silver ahead of Jan Michal Jackowiak (Poland) (Image credit: Getty Images)
Attacks were launched from almost every nation behind, but it was Spain’s BenjamÃn Noval who at one point looked set to break Hudson’s heart. Noval stormed up the penultimate climb of the day and reduced the Brit’s advantage down from 40 seconds to just 15 with the cobbled Côte de Kimihurura and uphill rise to the line still to come.
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But suddenly, the TV broadcast changed views and Noval had crashed bizarrely off-screen on a wide part of the road inside the final 3km, seemingly leaving only Johan Blanc (France) within striking distance.
The Frenchman hit the cobbles with the 18-year-old Brit in sight, but it became clear he was spent and only a late charge from the peloton could have stopped Hudson from claiming the rainbow jersey.
That move came from Poland’s Jan Michal Jackowiak, but, despite his huge surge, it was too late, and Hudson had already made it alone and ahead across the cobbles, able to roar in celebration as he made history. Blanc came around Jackowiak to take second, with the Pole rounding out the podium.
“It’s probably still sinking in. I don’t really know what’s happening. I’m just happy,” said Hudson, still in shock at becoming World Champion, before explaining how his daring solo move was one made on instinct.
“I just saw in the moment that people were sitting up, and it had been quite hard up that climb, so I just went and settled in to see how far I could go. I thought I was going to get caught with like a lap to go, because there were people quite close behind, but then it just ended up staying away.
“To win in Africa is crazy, [it’s the] first Worlds in Africa. But just winning a world title is amazing, so I don’t really know what to say.”
Hudson was met by a former British multiple World Champion after his post-race interview, Mark Cavendish, who congratulated him.
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Hudson currently rides for British club team Harrogate Nova, but having joined the likes of Remco Evenepoel and Mathieu van der Poel as men’s junior World Champions, he will surely be looking to move forward as a professional in the years to come.
“Making cycling a career,” is what he described his immediate plans as being – “just riding a bike, it’s what I love.”
2025 Road World Championships: Hudson celebrates his victory (Image credit: Getty Images)How it unfolded
Action in the junior road race came right from the first lap around the circuit in Kigali, with Heimo Fugger (Austria) and Loic Schertenleib (Switzerland) the first pair to get away successfully, before they were joined by the USA’s Beckam Drake with 86km to go.
With eight laps of the two key climbs, Côte de Kigali Golf and the Côte de Kimihurura, to complete, more riders decided not to wait, notably Bulgaria’s Nicolas van der Merwe, who attacked across to make it four in front.
2025 Road World Championships: the opening phases of the junior men’s road race (Image credit: Getty Images)
It became clear that Drake and Van der Merwe were the strongest, dropping their two fellow breakaway riders up the next ascent of the cobbled climb to the line, and the peloton was threatening to bubble over behind.
A small group dangled in front at around 30 seconds, but they were left behind once Italy and Germany decided to light things up in the final 60km, cutting the lead duo’s advantage significantly.
Zeno Levi (Germany), Loic Schertenleib (Switzerland) and Ben Morin (Canada) in a chase group during the early part of the race (Image credit: Getty Images)
Van der Merwe dropped back, leaving just Drake to go solo into the last 40km, but his day was soon ended four kilometres later, prompting Britain’s Harry Hudson into a counter move. No one followed the Brit, and he was quickly 40 seconds up the road.
Stop-start moves struggled to make much of an impression on Hudson’s lead, with Italy’s Roberto Capello and Javier Cubillas (Spain) eventually pulling off the front to try and make the junction.
Hudson took the bell lap and reached the final ascent of the Côte de Kigali Golf with around 20 seconds still to defend. Here, Capello and Cubillas were caught, as the latter’s teammate, Benjamin Noval (Spain), kicked on as the strongest in the group.
As several pre-race favourites fell by the wayside, only Cubillas and France’s Johan Blanc could match Noval’s pace in his wheel, but they were unable to take a turn, frustrating the future Ineos Grenadiers rider.
Harry Hudson (GB) en route to victory (Image credit: Getty Images)
Van der Merwe dropped back, leaving just Drake to go solo into the last 40km, but his day was soon ended four kilometres later, prompting Britain’s Harry Hudson into a counter move. No one followed the Brit, and he was quickly 40 seconds up the road.
Stop-start moves struggled to make much of an impression on Hudson’s lead, with Italy’s Roberto Capello and Javier Cubillas (Spain) eventually pulling off the front to try and make the junction.
Hudson took the bell lap and reached the final ascent of the Côte de Kigali Golf with around 20 seconds still to defend. Here, Capello and Cubillas were caught, as the latter’s teammate, Benjamin Noval (Spain), kicked on as the strongest in the group.
Johan Blanc (France) and Jan Michal Jackowiak (Poland) en route to their podium places behind Hudson (Image credit: Getty Images)Results
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