The 2026 UCI Road World Championships are taking place in Montreal, Canada, from September 20, marking the return of the global road cycling competition after Rwanda hosted it in 2025, becoming the first African country to stage the championships.
Rwanda sent 15 cyclists to Canada to compete in different categories, marking the first time the country has fielded such a large team at the championships when held outside Rwanda.
Tuesday, September 22, marks the third day of the championships.
Three events are scheduled, including the Team Time Trial Mixed Relay, in which Rwanda is not represented, as well as the individual time trial events for junior men and women.
Ishimwe Brian and Byusa Pacifique will represent Rwanda in the junior men’s individual time trial. A total of 69 riders are scheduled to compete over 20.3 kilometres. Ishimwe is scheduled to start at 6:21 p.m. Kigali time, while Byusa is due to start at 6:34 p.m.
In the junior women’s event, Rwanda will be represented by Akimana Donatha and Masengesho Yvonne. A total of 58 riders are scheduled to compete over 10.7 kilometres.
Akimana is scheduled to be the first rider to start at 9:15 p.m. Kigali time, while Masengesho will start at 9:25 p.m.
How Rwandan cyclists performed in the first two days
On Sunday, September 20, the championships featured the individual time trial events for elite men and women over 39.2 kilometres.
In the women’s event, both Rwandan riders finished consecutively, with Nirere Xaveline taking 37th place, 9 minutes and 17 seconds behind the winner. Ingabire Diane finished 38th, 9 minutes and 45 seconds behind the winner.
Swiss rider Marlen Reusser won the race in 50 minutes and 24 seconds, followed by Britain’s Zoe Backstedt and Germany’s Franziska Koch in third place. A total of 47 riders finished the race, while one failed to complete it.
Rwanda had no representative in the men’s individual time trial. Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel, who is a leading figure in the discipline, again delivered a strong performance, as he did last year, winning the race in 44 minutes and 53 seconds.
Italy’s Filippo Ganna finished second, while France’s Paul Seixas was third. A total of 60 riders completed the race, while one failed to finish.
Monday, September 21, marked the second day of the UCI Road World Championships, with individual time trials for under-23 women and men.
In the women’s race, held over 20.3 kilometres, Mwamikazi Jazilla was the best-placed Rwandan, finishing 39th, 3 minutes and 42 seconds behind the winner. Byukusenge Mariate finished 43rd, 5 minutes and 19 seconds behind the winner.
Australia’s Felicity Wilson-Haffenden won the race in 27 minutes and 40 seconds, followed by the Netherlands’ Nienke Vinke and Belgium’s Luca Vierstraete in third. All 52 riders who started the race completed it.
In the men’s event, held over 31.3 kilometres, Nshutiraguma Kevin was Rwanda’s only representative. He finished 53rd, 5 minutes and 15 seconds behind the winner.
The Netherlands’ Ryan Gal won the race in 37 minutes and 26 seconds, followed by Italy’s Nicolas Milesi and Spain’s Hector Alvarez in third place. A total of 67 riders finished the race, while one failed to complete it and four others did not start.
The third day of the UCI Road World Championships will provide another opportunity to see how Rwanda’s cyclists perform, although winning a medal remains a difficult challenge.
