Ostiz, who was beaten by Cat Ferguson in Zurich a year ago to take silver, is now world champion for the first time. Second place this year went to the Italian Chantal Pegolo and the 16-year-old Swiss Anja Grossmann. There were no German athletes at the start.
The 74-kilometre race on the Kigali circuit never really got going. The pace was slowed down time and again. If it was fast on the climbs, the race leaders, who were only very rarely caught by breakaways, let the air out again and again. As a result, the decision was only made just before the finish line.
"It's a dream come true," said Ostiz, who at the age of 18 is already riding as a stagiaire for Movistar and will be under contract to the team for three years in the Women's WorldTour from next season. "I'm at a loss for words. My family is watching me, the whole team and the whole country, and I just have to thank them all. I knew I had to hold everything back until the end because I had watched all the other races," she said, explaining the cautious tactics that the whole peloton had adopted. "I even had a few cramps at the end. I just wanted to save everything for the sprint and that's how it worked out. I still can't believe it."
World Championship 2025 - Road Race Junior Women Results
World Championships WJ - Road Race: Kigali - Kigali
World Championships WJ - Road Race 2025: World Championships WJ - Road Race, Kigali - Kigali
| Rnk. | Riders | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain | 02:09:19 |
| 2 | Italy | +00:00:00 |
| 3 | Switzerland | +00:00:00 |
| 4 | Canada | +00:00:00 |
| 5 | Italy | +00:00:03 |
| 6 | France | +00:00:03 |
This is how the 2025 World Junior Road Race went
73 riders from 34 nations tackled the five laps of the Kigali course. A pure elimination race developed on the difficult profile. Attacks remained a real rarity until deep into the final. One of the few breakaway attempts, which lasted a little longer, was made by Leyra Almena from Spain 42 kilometres before the finish. She stayed ahead of the peloton for around ten kilometres.
In general, it was Spain and Great Britain who were the dominant forces. The Dutch riders, who had already won the individual time trial through Megan Arens, were all not at their maximum performance level due to gastrointestinal problems that were going around the team. Around 25 riders then set off together on the final lap.
Pace dragged on again and again: decision only made in the final metres
But the momentum was gone. At the front of the field, Grossmann kept trying to counter all the offensive efforts of the other teams, such as Roos Müller (Netherlands). Nothing more happened on the Cote de Kigali Golf than in the race before. At the 5-kilometre mark, the Greek Eirini Papadimitriou attacked and thus at least brought some speed back into the race. Nevertheless, the Cote de Kimihurura and its cobblestones had to bring the decision.
Grossmann again rode from the front. Ostiz, Kiros, Pegolo, Giada Silo (Italy) and Sidney Swierenga (Canada) were left behind. It was the Ethiopian who had initially overtaken a bit and was no longer able to follow the leaders in the middle of the climb. But once again the pace was slowed down so much that a group around Kiros, which was already clearly distanced, was able to catch up again 500 metres before the finish line. However, the chasers lacked the strength to intervene in the sprint for the medals again. Ostiz, who remained invisible for a long time, clearly won the race. Behind her, Grossmann had to admit defeat to Pegolo in the battle for silver.
