{"id":55693,"date":"2025-09-20T15:53:46","date_gmt":"2025-09-20T15:53:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/belgian-cyclists-fans-voice-excitement-ahead-of-uci-road-world-championships-in\/"},"modified":"2025-09-20T18:01:15","modified_gmt":"2025-09-20T18:01:15","slug":"belgian-cyclists-fans-voice-excitement-ahead-of-uci-road-world-championships-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/belgian-cyclists-fans-voice-excitement-ahead-of-uci-road-world-championships-in\/","title":{"rendered":"Belgian cyclists, fans voice excitement ahead of UCI Road World Championships in Kigali"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It is the first time that the World Championships are being hosted on the African continent, specifically in Rwanda\u2019s capital, Kigali.<\/p>\n<p>Most national teams are already in Rwanda, having traveled with RwandAir. On September 18, 2025, a group of Belgian men and women departed from Zaventem Airport in Brussels told IGIHE that they were eager to reach Kigali to begin mountain biking tours and also follow the global cycling competition.<\/p>\n<p>Faeza Bladj, who traveled from northern Belgium where Flemish is spoken, said:<br \/>\n\u201cThis is my first time going to Africa. I\u2019m very excited to arrive in Kigali, to witness the Road World Championships together with my friends. I believe RwandAir, which has welcomed us well, will take us there with the same great service.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Martine Hofstede, visiting Rwanda for the second time, explained that she returned with a new group of companions who wanted to experience the country\u2019s beauty.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is my second visit to Rwanda. I came with a different group than the first time. They were eager to see the beauty of this country that I have grown to love. We are happy to attend the World Championships and to also visit places we planned to tour,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n<p>Olivier Karangwa, RwandAir\u2019s Station Manager at Brussels Airport, said flying with RwandAir to Africa was like fulfilling a dream.<\/p>\n<p> \u201cWe are proud that as Rwanda\u2019s national airline we are among those transporting teams and their equipment to the UCI Road World Championships in Kigali 2025. Today alone we have welcomed more than 40 passengers, including men, women, and even families with children. It shows how much these Championships attract entire households,\u201d he noted. <\/p>\n<p>Karangwa added that beyond the competition, some visitors also came for cycling tourism and will watch the races live.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a big gain for Rwanda in terms of tourism and the Visit Rwanda campaign. All of these guests will become ambassadors for the country after enjoying our hospitality, which started right here on our flight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Karangwa said the airline had deployed an Airbus A330-300, a modern and spacious aircraft with three-class configuration that can carry 274 passengers.<\/p>\n<p>The UCI Road World Championships is an annual event, with this year marking its 98th edition since 1921.<\/p>\n<p>On Sunday, September 21, 2025, the individual time trials for both men and women will be contested. Afghan rider Yulduz Hashimi will be the first to set off in the women\u2019s race at 10:10 a.m.<\/p>\n<p>Race routes have already been prepared with clear road signage and safety equipment to protect fans and riders.<\/p>\n<p>Cyclists from 110 countries have arrived in Kigali early, touring the city\u2019s roads and holding training sessions in preparation for what promises to be a historic week of racing in Africa.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-94782\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/1-315.jpg\" alt=\"Faeza Bladj (on the right) said she is very excited to arrive in Kigali\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-94783\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/2-285.jpg\" alt=\"Martine Hofstede, visiting Rwanda for the second time, explained that she returned with a new group of companions who wanted to experience the country\u2019s beauty.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-94784\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/4-209.jpg\" alt=\"Karangwa said the airline had deployed an Airbus A330-300, a modern and spacious aircraft with three-class configuration that can carry 274 passengers.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-94785\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/3-233.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-94786\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/5-156.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-94787\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/6-134.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-94788\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/7-108.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-94792\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250920-wa0005.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-94793\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250920-wa0004.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Belgian cyclists and fans have expressed their excitement about the upcoming UCI Road World Championships scheduled to take place in Kigali from September 21 to 28, 2025.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":2000094789,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[75],"byline":[269],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-55693","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","tag-homenews","byline-karirima-aimable-ngarambe"],"bylines":[{"id":269,"name":"Karirima Aimable 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