Rwanda will be the first African country to host the UCI Road World Championships in 2025, and the country's cycling federation, Ferwasi, has appointed ASO and Gorazo to host the historic event.

The three parties reached an agreement on Tuesday, January 9 at the headquarters of the Ministry of Sport in Kigali. The French and Belgian companies have extensive knowledge of organizing races, as they are the driving forces behind the Tour de France and the Leniwi Tour, respectively.

"Hosting the world championships on the African continent for the first time is a major step forward for cycling, and it is a real honor for ASO to support the Ministry of Sport and the Cycling Federation in this ambitious project with Golasso," ASO CEO Jan Le Moener said in a press release. [There is no doubt that Kigali is the right place to host such a landmark event. People have a true passion for cycling and this hilly city will be one of the most challenging places for cycling races. We are really pleased to be able to offer our expertise to such a promising event"

. [Elite Men, Elite Women, Men's U23, Women's U23, Men's Junior, Women's Junior.

Cycling has been on the rise in Rwanda and Africa in recent years, with more and more athletes jumping up to the professional peloton, such as Eritrea's Biniam Girmay.

This landlocked East Central African country was officially confirmed and announced as the host country of the 2025 Road World Championships at the 2021 UCI World Championships in Belgium.

"We are honored to help co-host this memorable sporting moment for Africa. We have been working in East Africa for more than a decade," said Bob Felbeck, CEO of Golazo Group. [In recent years, our operations in Kenya have gained momentum. This is another major step in developing our foothold in Africa, and Golazo is opening a second office in Kigali (Rwanda) in addition to our current office in Nairobi (Kenya)."

The course is expected to be tough, taking advantage of Rwanda's harsh hilly terrain, and sprinters vying for the rainbow jersey will have no chance to party.

Gorazo is expecting over 20,000 international spectators, even more than the Tour of Rwanda.

"The course is really great, especially for the World Cycling Championships," said Christophe Impens, managing director of Gorazo. [because] it is a very demanding course, with Mount Kigali, the famous Kigali Wall, and especially the paved climbs in the last 2 km.

"The elite men's race takes place at an elevation of 5,000 meters, and at more than 1,400 meters above sea level. We are also impressed with the quality of the roads and the infrastructure available. Kigali has all the elements in place to provide cycling fans with a quality world championship."