Tadej Pogacar defended his World Cup title on the street in Rwanda. The Slovenian won with a demonstration of his extra class on the 267 -kilometer course around the capital Kigali as a soloist. At the end of the 6:21:20 hours, he was able to let out relaxed, show two fingers to the finish line, he took 1:28 minutes ahead.
Silver secured Remco Evenepoel, who had given Pogacar a painful clap in the time trial at this World Cup – and drove frustrated and shaking head over the line. Bronze went to the Irish Ben Healy, who was decisive from the Danes of Mattias Skjelmosis five kilometers before the end.
Pogacar wrote cycling history with his success: he is the first driver to win both the Tour de France and the World Cup in two consecutive years. Pogacar later said with a beam of joy: “I am so happy that I did it. The climbs became harder and harder in every round. I had to fight very much. The energy reserves came to an end.”
Pogacar (M.), Evenepoel (left) and Healy on the World Cup podium
Pogacar goes on the offensive early
Pogacar had left Isaac del Toro 66 kilometers before the finish line. His big opponent Evenepoel had long since missed the connection. The Belgian also had to deal with technical problems, hit his saddle several times in the middle of the race and waited for his material car.
Pogacar went on the offensive 104 kilometers before the finish – with the most demanding passage of the race. After nine rounds on the city course for Kigali, we went over the only longer climb to the 1771 meter high Mont Kigali.
Ayuso falls back on the Mur de Kigali
Pogacar attacked on the last steep meters, initially only Juan Ayuso could follow. As a top duo, both went into the departure. Even Evenepoel, who was one of the top favorites after the strong time trial, could not go.
Del Toro quickly opened up to the top duo in the departure, so three professionals from Pogacar’s UAE racing team were at the top. Around 100 kilometers before the finish, the Mur de Kigali followed a 400 meter long, but steep (11 percent on average) cobblestone ramp. Here Ayuso had to let them tear down.
Overcome a total of 5,500 meters of altitude
Pogacar and Del Toro slowly expanded their lead to 45 seconds, when Pogacar then settled alone, it quickly became more than a minute. After the extra loop, six passages followed the circuit around Kigali. On the heavy route it went over two ramps. In total, the professionals had to overcome around 5,500 meters of altitude on the World Cup course.
The hard course in the Kigali, almost 1600 meters high, had asked for a first prominent victim early on. The Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe, 2020 and 2021 world champion, rose after almost 30 kilometers and exhausted from the bike.
From for Engelhardt, Zimmermann, Mayrhofer and New
Felix Engelhardt was the first German 180 kilometers before the finish, a little later the German champion Georg Zimmermann and Jonas Rutsch also gave up. “That was one of the hardest races I’ve ever driven. The battery was just empty”, said Rutsch, who had to deal with gastrointestinal problems.
The also weakened carpenter was disappointed: “That’s a shame. But that is part of professional sport. Five failures come to a success, unless you are called Tadej Pogacar.” Marius Mayrhofer, who had shown himself in the top group at the beginning, also got off the bike prematurely.