2025 World Cycling Championships: These are the top favourites for the world title

The defending champion is the top favourite: Tadej Pogačar, who almost always wins when he is at the start. He is currently the strongest climber. It works in his favour that the course is the most difficult since the 1980 World Championships, when Bernard Hinault won. In the recent past, only the course around Innsbruck in 2018 had a comparable number of metres in altitude (see route preview). Unlike the women's race, there is an additional loop for the men. This involves a long climb up Mount Kigali (1769 metres): over 5.9 kilometres, the pros have to climb a gradient of 6.8 percent. A good 100 kilometres before the finish, the finale should be heralded here before returning to the circuit via the steep section "Mur de Kigali".

The altitude profile is likely to have deterred some former world champions from taking part. Mathieu van der Poel, world champion in 2023, ended his season after the Mountain Bike World Championships in Switzerland. The sprint-strong classics specialist Mads Pedersen (Denmark), winner of the 2019 World Championships, also did not travel to Africa. For others, the long journey, the tropical climate, the altitude of Kigali or the recommended vaccinations were probably reasons for cancelling, in addition to the altitude difference. Pedersen's strong climbing compatriot, Vuelta winner Jonas Vingegaard (Denmark), will not be challenging his eternal rival Pogačar in Kigali. Too bad for the German fans: Florian Lipowitz will also not be at the start - the Tour de France bronze medallist cancelled early. The World Championship favourites in the TOUR-Check.

World Championship men's road race: The most important facts in brief

• Date: Sunday 28.9.2025
• Time: 9:45 - approx. 16:45
• Length: 267.5 kilometres
• Altitude metres: 5475 vertical metres
• TV broadcast: Eurosport 1, 9:30 - 17:15, ZDF (from 14:55)
• Live stream: Discovery Plus, ZDF

The TOUR favourites by stars

***** Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia)

**** Remco Evenepoel (Belgium)

*** Isaac del Toro (Mexico), Juan Ayuso (Spain), Tom Pidcock (Great Britain)

** Richard Carapaz (Ecuador), Giulio Ciccone (Italy), Jay Vine (Australia)

* - in the extended circle: Ben Healy (Ireland), Julian Alaphilippe, Paul Seixas (both France), Mattias Skjelmose (Denmark), Quinn Simmons (USA)

* The more stars a driver receives, the higher her chances are rated

***** Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia)

Who wins the World Cup? Doesn't someone always win everything? Tadej Pogačar has been hard to beat in recent years, especially in the climbing stages that await the professional cyclists in Kigali. After winning the Tour de France, the defending champion took a long six-week break from competition before returning to the racing action at the two World Tour races in Canada at the beginning of September.

He proved his strong form at the GP Montreal one-day race in Canada, when he gave the win to his companion and team-mate Brandon McNulty. At this year's World Championships, he was dealt a blow when the eventual world champion Remco Evenepoel, who started 2:30 minutes later, overtook him shortly before the finish of the individual time trial. After the Tour, the Slovenian had only ridden two races in Canada and, in his own words, did not have sufficient preparation for the time trial. The question: Will he really be in top form at the start? The Slovenian team can hardly keep up with the big cycling nations in terms of breadth - however, the line-up includes the strong all-rounder Primož Roglič and the former Milan-San Remo winner Matej Mohoric. "We have to be smart and patient, but also ready to attack. Tadej is our leader, but a single plan is not enough at a World Championships," says Slovenia's national coach Andrej Hauptman ahead of the race.

**** Remco Evenepoel (Belgium)

He did not achieve his big goal for this season, which was to put in a top performance at the Tour de France. Remco Evenepoel dropped out in France in July, unable to get into his stride. But the 2024 double Olympic champion is back on the road to success. He proved this in the World Championships individual time trial, which he won in superior style. He celebrated a special triumph when he overtook Tadej Pogačar on the final climb. The question is: How can he follow the Slovenian's expected explosive attacks in the road race? And can he cope better with the metres in altitude than he did at the Tour? The Belgian team is largely geared towards him, where he can rely on his long-time team-mate and third in the time trial world championships, Ilan van Wilder. Wout van Aert is not part of the team. Veteran Tiesj Benoot also cancelled at short notice due to a coronavirus infection.

*** Juan Ayuso (Spain)

The Spaniard made headlines at the Vuelta: Once again there was trouble surrounding the climbing talent Juan Ayuso - his loyalty to the team left a lot to be desired. He showed what he is capable of with two stage wins from breakaway groups. During the Vuelta, he should have assisted captain João Almeida, but he clearly didn't feel much like it. His team UAE parted ways with him prematurely - there was talk of different goals. His team-mate Isaac del Toro had previously surpassed him in the team hierarchy at the Giro. While there were numerous rivals for leadership roles in his professional racing team, Ayuso was clearly given the role of leader by the new Spanish national coach Alejandro Valverde at the World Championships in Rwanda. Now he can show that he performs as expected. There is no lack of self-confidence: "I see myself in the rainbow jersey. I won't be satisfied with second place," he said. During the World Championships, the switch to his new employer Lidl-Trek was announced (Link). After all, there are no conflicts of loyalty in the World Championship race regarding top favourite Pogačar - the two will soon be receiving their salaries from different teams.

*** Isaac del Toro (Mexico)

He is probably already the strongest professional cyclist Mexico has ever had: Isaac del Toro. Compared to the 21-year-old professional cyclist, compatriots Raul Alcala (Tour stage winner) and Julio Perez Cuapio (Giro stage winner) were island talents in the high mountains. The professional cyclist, who earns his money with UAE Team Emirates alongside Pogačar, is the shooting star of the season. At the tender age of a professional, he already has 16 professional victories to his name. At the Giro, Simon Yates snatched overall victory from him on the final climb - but the Mexican made a lasting impression. Things continued to improve after that: the rascal is not just a tour or classics specialist. Most recently, he won the Tour of Burgos, then four one-day races in Italy in five starts. The form is right. However, the Mexican will largely have to ride without team support. Mexico only produces a top rider every few decades.

*** Tom Pidcock (Great Britain)

The man from Yorkshire has yet to win the world championship title on the road. He has already worn the rainbow jersey in cyclocross and mountain biking. He can climb, as he proved with his Tour stage win in Alpe d'Huez and his recent third place overall at the Vuelta a España. The steep ramps in Kigali should suit the British cycling star - explosiveness and mountain sprints are his strengths. The route suits him, said the Brit after an initial inspection. He called the key section, the cobbled Cote de Kimihurura, "the perfect Tadej mountain", comparing it to the Oude Kwaremont in the Tour of Flanders. Advantage of Tadej Pogačar? What Pidcock didn't say was that such climbs also suit him. He has strong companions in the British team such as Fred Wright and Tour fourth-placed Oscar Onley.

** Jay Vine (Australia)

Officially, Jai Hindley is the captain of the Australian team going into the World Championship race, having recently shown good form in the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe jersey, finishing fourth in the Vuelta a España. But currently his compatriot Jay Vine seems to be even stronger when it comes to the demands of the World Championship course. The 29-year-old from Pogačar's Team UAE won silver in the individual time trial, which was held on part of the road race course, including the presumably decisive climb to the finish. The Aussie has now found his feet in road cycling. He secured his first professional contract as the winner of the Zwift Academy - meaning his cycling talent was discovered via an internet platform. Five years later, the 2020 e-sports cycling world champion has become a serious candidate for the world championships on the road.

** Richard Carapaz (Ecuador)

He is a national hero in his home country of Ecuador. Richard Carapaz won the Giro d'Italia in 2019, putting his home country on the world cycling map. Two years later, he celebrated his Olympic victory in Tokyo - which earned him a reception with the President of Ecuador. Third in the Giro d'Italia 2025, he is a strong climber with a thirst for attack and can be counted among "Pogi's" challengers. He is not quite starting as a lone fighter, but almost: Ecuador is only sending a total of three starters into the race. The strongest compatriot, Jhonatan Narvaez, is not part of the selection.

** Giulio Ciccone (Italy)

He is currently Italy's best climber: Giulio Ciccone. At the World Championships, he is the leader of the Italian cycling nation, which has long been waiting for a world champion. The last title winner was Alessandro Ballan in 2008, and the aggressive climber from the south of Italy is likely to see the opportunity of a lifetime at this World Championships. Most recently at the Vuelta, he looked in good form and the 30-year-old from Team Lidl-Trek can also handle tough one-day races: Most recently he won the Clásica San Sebastián, last year he finished third in the Tour of Lombardy and this spring he finished second behind Pogačar in Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Andrea Bagioli is likely to be the second option in the Squadra Azzurra. Overall, the Italian team and its riders should never be underestimated, as they continue to set standards in terms of teamwork and tactical finesse.