Tadej Pogačar retains his World Championship title with emphatic display

For the second time in as many years, Tadej Pogačar won the UCI World Championships Road Race, ensuring that UAE Team Emirates-XRG will have the rainbow jersey for another year. The Slovenian went alone with 66km to go, and would not be caught before the line.

Hosted in Kigali, Rwanda, the 2025 Road Race drew impressive crowds and the finishing ciruit only enhanced the spectacle. With tough climbs, cobbles to be dealt with, and the sport’s most hallowed prize up for grabs, the racing lived up to all expectations.

Pogačar put his opponents under immense pressure with over 100km to go, with only his trade teammates Isaac del Toro and Juan Ayuso able to hack the pace. The three riders powered away from the peloton and showed their class on Kigali’s defining climb.

Ayuso was the first to cede ground, as Del Toro pushed on, and for a while, it looked as though the Mexican would head towards the race finish alongside Pogačar. Teammates for the rest of the year, Pogačar and Del Toro tested each other for the next 30km before the reigning world champion broke the elastic.

Alone at the front of the race with 66km to ride, the Slovenian extended his advantage to those behind to over a minute, as his opponents began to battle for the silver and bronze medals.

In the end, Pogačar crossed the finish line a minute and a half ahead of the second-placed Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) and over two minutes ahead of Ben Healy (Ireland) in third. The trio stood on the podium at the end of the day as Pogačar pulled on the rainbow jersey.

Speaking after the finish, the two-time world champion explained his racing tactics and reflected on his second success.

Pogačar: “I think the parcours was designed for this, but I was hoping that a small group would form like we did with Juan and Del Toro. It was the perfect combo and it was like a dream to ride together as far as possible as a trio.

“Juan had a rpoblem quite soon on the cobbles and Del Toro had stomach problems in the race, so I was left alone quite early. I was solo like last year, just fighting with myself, but I am so happy I made it.

“The climbs were getting harder and harder every lap, and also on the downhills you still had to pedal quite a lot so the energy resources were getting towards the end. It was so hard the final few laps, and of course you doubt a bit, but you have to push through and hope for the best.

“It was an incredible experience altogether and let’s say it was a successful week in Rwanda.”

Earlier in the day, Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammate Ivo Oliveira was in the breakaway for Portugal. As the racing became attritional, Oliveira proved one of the strongest riders out front, and was only caught once Pogačar’s accelerations tore the peloton apart.

The first acceleration came after Team Belgium had done much of the pace-setting with UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s Florian Vermeersch. With 104km to go, Pogačar launched his move from the pack, and Ayuso jumped to catch the Slovenian’s wheel.

A further 2km later, Del Toro was the only rider able to bridge up to the pair, and all of a sudden, the three strongest riders in the race appeared to come from UAE Team Emirates-XRG.

Ayuso was put into difficulty by Del Toro on the Kwa Mutwe (Mur de Kigali), before the Mexican was equally forced to relent by Pogačar later in the afternoon. One by one, a selection had been made on the roads of Rwanda, and Pogačar proved more than capable of defending his world title.

His winning attack came 66km from the finish, but both Del Toro and Ayuso continued to battle on. The pair finished seventh and eighth, respectively, at the end of the race.

Having turned 27 a week ago, Pogačar now moves to 105 career victories. The Slovenian is a two-time world champion and will wear the iconic rainbow jersey for another year.

UCI World Championships Road Race results:

1. Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia) 6:21:20

2. Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) +1:28

3. Ben Healy (Ireland) +2:16

7. Isaac del Toro (Mexico) +6:47

8. Juan Ayuso (Spain) s.t