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The new Rwandan federation president has killed plans to promote the Tour du Rwanda to the WorldTour in favour of developing the country’s next generation of riders
Cor Vos
The population of African cyclists in the men’s and women’s WorldTours has been cut by two-thirds over the last decade, with just six Africans set to race in cycling’s top-level next season.
The diagnosis for such a downturn arguably has three main strands: the absence of an African WorldTour team; a dearth of resources, coaching and equipment; and perhaps most importantly, a lack of quality and consistent racing opportunities for young African riders.
Just over a year on from Africa’s first World Championships, its host, Rwanda, wants to reverse that trend. Since the Kigali Worlds, the Rwandan cycling federation (FERWACY), has elected a new president and adopted a new mission to establish a quality racing hub for its riders and for Africa.
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In keeping with that plan, 2027 will see the launch of the women’s Tour du Rwanda and a UCI stage race for juniors, alongside plans to strengthen the Tour du Rwanda and launch a series of UCI one-day races over the coming seasons.
The hope is that these races can create a foundation for African riders to compete, improve, and ultimately step up to the professional ranks. However, the ambitions of FERWACY’s new leader, Jean Hubert Nkurayija, extend far beyond that.
‘We don’t need a WorldTour race’
Nkurayija ascended to the top job in Rwandan cycling in May, succeeding former Olympic swimmer Samson Ndayishimiwe. Unlike his predecessor, Nkurayija has a deep history in the sport after racing at national level and learning from his uncle, Adrien Niyonshuti – Rwanda’s greatest-ever rider.
There is little doubt that if Africa is to once again produce talent and create opportunities for that talent to progress to the sport’s higher levels, it must develop its racing schedule. In 2026, there have been just 63 UCI race days for men and just six race days for women in all of Africa, not nearly enough to sustain and develop hundreds, or thousands, of athletes.
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Before Nkurayija took on the presidency, FERWACY were moving to promote the Tour du Rwanda towards WorldTour status over the coming years, with a step to ProSeries level on the cards in 2027. One of Nkurayija’s first moves upon taking office was to kill that plan. A better idea for developing Rwandan and African talent, Nkurayija argues, is to establish Rwanda as Africa’s racing home by launching a string of new events.
“When I came in, we had a long discussion about it. For me, I said we don’t need a WorldTour [race],” Nkurayija told Escape over the phone from his office in Kigali.
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