Rwanda eyes new WorldTour race in 2027 after Kigali Worlds success
Rwanda and the UCI are in discussions about creating a new professional race that could bring WorldTour level cycling to the African continent for the first time.
Samson Ndayishimiye, president of the Rwandan Cycling Federation, confirmed to La Dernière Heure that both parties are exploring how to build on the momentum of the 2025 World Championships in Kigali.
He said the federation wants the Championships to leave a lasting influence on the sport in Rwanda. “We want the previous World Championships to leave a legacy,” Ndayishimiye explained. “We are examining the best way to approach this. We need to determine the ideal date for a race, but we also need to consider the most suitable format. We want to present a strong field of participants.”
The details are still open. The choice between a one day race or a stage race has not yet been made, and the calendar slot remains undecided. What is clear is that the federation aims for a race with a higher status than the Tour du Rwanda, which has been a UCI 2.1 event since 2019 and currently stands as the only professional road race on the continent. La Tropicale Amissa Bongo, disappeared after 2023.
The Kigali Worlds themselves were widely discussed. Many praised the first elite World Championships on African soil, while others criticised the event because it offered Rwanda’s authoritarian government an opportunity to improve its image. From a competitive and organisational standpoint, however, the UCI considered the event a success, and the local enthusiasm has encouraged Rwanda to pursue more.
Ndayishimiye said the ambition is shared by both the federation and the UCI, though he emphasised the need for careful evaluation. “The shared desire is there, but we need to analyse everything calmly so we can make the right choices,” he told. There is no fixed deadline, but a debut in 2027 is seen as realistic.
If the project advances and achieves WorldTour status, Africa would for the first time host a yearly top level road race, marking a significant step in the global development of the sport.
