A road cycling world championship is to be held in Africa for the first time in September. The tensions between host Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo are just one of many problems.
04.03.2025, 15:12
04.03.2025, 15:13
SDA
If the news about the botched dress rehearsals is true, then the world championships in Rwanda should be a glittering cycling festival. After all, the final stage of the Tour of Rwanda, which was largely planned on the World Championship course, had to be abandoned last Sunday because the weather did not play ball. But that is currently the least of the problems, as a background report by the German news agency dpa shows.
A political debate has flared up around the first road cycling world championships in an African country. Rwanda supports the M23 militia, which has controlled large areas in the resource-rich east of the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo for a few weeks now. The EU Parliament adopted numerous sanctions against Rwanda and also called for the World Cup, which is scheduled to take place from September 21 to 28, to be canceled.
President on the hunt for votes
David Lappartient, President of the UCI, is unimpressed. "There is no plan B," said the Frenchman, dismissing alternatives such as a postponement out of hand. At the start of the Tour of Rwanda, Lappartient appeared friendly and waving flags in the capital Kigali. Everything is safe, everything is peaceful, was the message.
However, not all teams saw it that way. The Belgian Equipe Soudal-Quickstep decided not to send its junior team to Rwanda. "Stages three and four are just a stone's throw away from where the rebels are," said sporting director Kevin Hulsmans. That was questionable for him. In fact, at times the peloton only rode a good ten kilometers away from the conflict zone. There were no incidents - the FDFA (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs) is not currently issuing a travel warning. However, the security situation has deteriorated further due to the increasing tensions between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
There are probably also political reasons why Lappartient is sticking with Rwanda as the venue. After all, the 51-year-old would like to succeed IOC President Thomas Bach in March. Although the Frenchman's chances are considered to be slim, any additional fuss surrounding the World Cup is unlikely to help. He would also be up for re-election as UCI President this year.
Major cycling nations refrain from taking part
Apart from moral concerns, the field of participants for the World Championships is already thinned out in the run-up to the event by completely different hurdles. Major cycling nations such as Denmark and the Netherlands have decided not to send their young riders to Rwanda in the fall and even the Belgians are currently weighing up their line-up - for cost reasons. The hotel prices, says Germany's women's coach André Korff, are even higher than in Zurich.
In addition, there are extensive vaccinations, for example against malaria, hepatitis A and yellow fever. "The riders are worried about how this could affect their performance," said Frederik Broché, Technical Director of the Belgian federation.
Millions for a positive image
Rwanda wants to become a major player in world sport. To this end, the country is investing millions in international sporting events. The autocratic President Paul Kagame is eagerly working on a positive image and is engaged in sportswashing. FIFA held a congress in Kigali, and teams such as FC Bayern, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are supported as sponsors. Efforts are currently being made to make a Formula 1 track a reality. The cancellation of the World Cycling Championships would be a serious setback.
