Live - World Championship Men's Elite Road Race - Tadej Pogacar goes back to back!

Hello everybody and welcome to Domestique's live coverage for the Men's Elite Road Race at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships.

Action is set to get underway with the official start scheduled for 09:45 CEST as the riders face a tough 267.5 kilometres, which entails barely an inch of flat road, with the riders going either up or down.

Follow all of the action here on Domestique.

Here is the menu for the 2025 edition of the Road Race at the UCI Road World Championships

- 267.5 kilometres
- 5200 - 5500 metres of elevation gain
- Official start scheduled for 09:45 CEST
- Expected finish around 16:45 CEST

Eritropoetina is here with yet another full depth preview as he preview's the upcoming race ahead, with a variety of opportunities possible.

You can find his full in-depth preview by clicking the link here: Preview World Championship Men Elite - Payback time for Pogacar?

The five hardest World Championships road races of this century became true tests of endurance, shaped by relentless climbing. Rwanda 2025 leads the way with nearly 5,500 meters of elevation, followed by Innsbruck 2018 and Mendrisio 2009. Varese 2008 and Imola 2020 also produced demanding races where only the strongest contenders prevailed.

Barry Ryan analyses the two main favourites for the upcoming clash, as in 'round 1' Remco Evenepoel struck a huge blow to Pogacar, even overtaking him in the Men's Elite ITT on his way to victory. 

Take a look at his analyisis here: Pogacar's brilliance, Evenepoel's belief and the duel that defines the Worlds

2020 – Julian Alaphilippe (Imola) 
2021 – Julian Alaphilippe (Leuven)  
2022 – Remco Evenepoel (Wollongong) 
2023 – Mathieu van der Poel (Glasgow) 
2024 – Tadej Pogačar (Zurich)

Quite the list! Relive these unforgettable races in this article.

Here are five riders who have the potential to compete and challenge the Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel, with them also holding the ability go on and win the rainbow jersey.

- Isaac del Toro
- Ben Healy
- Michael Storer
-Julian Alaphilippe
- Quinn Simmons

Read our reasonings why, here: Worlds 2025: five challengers with the power to test Pogacar and Evenepoel?

400m with an 11% average gradient

A total of 57 countries are represented in today’s elite men’s road race, with 165 riders on the start line. Defending champion Pogačar leads a full-strength Slovenian team of nine, while Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Italy and Spain each bring eight riders. Host nation Rwanda fields six, the same number as Eritrea and the Netherlands.

👉 See the full start list here

Here is all of the latest information regarding the broadcast information for the race ahead, with the action about to begin.

How to watch the 2025 UCI Road World Championships live: Streaming and TV by country  

While all eyes will be on Pogačar and Evenepoel in Kigali, a host of star riders are missing from this year’s World Championships. Former champion Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands) never considered Rwanda’s brutal course, while Wout van Aert (Belgium) ends his season early after a heavy campaign. 

Jonas Vingegaard (Denmark), João Almeida (Portugal), Romain Grégoire (France), Brandon McNulty (USA), Mads Pedersen (Denmark), Jhonatan Narváez (Ecuador), Adam and Simon Yates (Great Britain) and last year’s runner-up Ben O’Connor (Australia) are all absent too. Other notable riders skipping the race include Tim Wellens (Belgium), Enric Mas (Spain), Florian Lipowitz (Germany) and Felix Gall (Austria).

The Dutch squad will line up with one rider fewer at the World Championships after Sam Oomen (Lidl-Trek) was forced to withdraw due to illness.

Here we go folks, let the games begin!

If the Women's Elite Road Race was anything to go by, then a real spectacle awaits. Anyway, the breakaway fight could be a big one as riders want to get in the limelight of the broadcast.

Conditions in Kigali are similar to the women’s race, with warm temperatures and light winds. But there is a higher risk of a heavy shower or thunderstorm developing later in the afternoon. Sun strength will remain extreme throughout, with the UV index at 11 or higher for the entire race.

Red Walters (Grenada) is the lone out rider at this moment in time at the head of the race, he is set to be joined by Menno Huising (Netherlands), Ivo Oliveira, Marius Mayrhofer (Germany). 
 

A pretty strong break for a World Championship.

Anders Foldager (Denmark) and Fabio Christen (Switzerland) have joined the front group with the 5 riders now just 8 seconds ahead of the peloton. A fast start.

Want to know more about the specific amount of riders trade team's have in the Men's Elite Road Race? Read on and click the link to read more: UAE dominates 2025 UCI Road World Championship Men's Road Race representation

Julien Bernard (France) is soon to bridge across to the breakaway as the break of 5, soon to be 6, has obtained a gap of 50 seconds and growing. Let's see who takes things up behind.

Its excitement for the defending World Champion, “I’m really excited, maybe too excited, because they are really hard sections of the race. We have a good plan, but in the Worlds it’s difficult to execute perfectly. There are 165 riders at the start, each with their own strategy,” he explained to Cycling Pro Net

Well this is something, the two-time Road World Champion has gone on a strange move to say the least... just as the peloton was starting to relax 1:47 behind the breakaway.

That attack lasted long and he is brought back within an instance. Was Audacious to say the least.

Christen, Foldager, Bernard, Huising, Oliveira, Mayrhofer have 1:05 on the peloton as the French are trying even further moves with the likes of Paul Seixas and Valentin Paret-Peintre.

Alaphilippe is now out the back of the peloton.

Still riders are aiming to bridge across to the breakaway including Isaac del Toro (Mexico) this is frantic stuff here! Tom Pidcock is also not in the peloton at this moment.

Tom Pidcock has successfully made it back on to the peloton after briefly being out the back of the peloton. 

Confirmation that Alaphilippe has abandoned the race after being seen on the broadcast a long way out the back.

The moments of chaos seems to be over, Slovenia have taken control of the peloton with Belgium and it seems the break of the day will be able to extend their advantage.

It appears that an illness got the better of Alaphilippe who will now be there to support his French teammates in their efforts after abandoning the race.

Here's an overview of the race situation:

G1: Foldager, Mayrhofer, Bernard, Christen, Huising, Oliveira
G2: Garcia Pierna +00:35
P: 2:46

There was a very high speed crash that took down a number of riders including Marc Soler, Ilan Van Wilder, Oscar Onley and others. All riders look to be gradually getting back underway.

Bjorn Koerdt (Britain) has abandoned the race after the nasty crash just a few kilometres earlier. He had suffered a lot of road rash and also his arm didn't appear to be in a good shape. Best wishes to him.

Marc Soler has now also abandoned the race after that crash and also Van Wilder is likely to join him. Meanwhile, USA and Slovenia are at the head of the peloton.

Florian Vermeersch is currently on the front of the peloton working for Team Belgium with 210 kilometres to go. The breakaway has a minute on the peloton at the moment. 

The breakaway advantage has gone out some more, now out to over 3 minutes. How long will it be until the first attack of the main contenders?

Louis Barré (France) is another Frenchman, after Julian Alaphilippe, who has abandoned the race with the pace proving too much for the young Frenchman.

Lorenzo Fortunato (Italy) had a problem with his front wheel and required a quick wheel change, with the Italian quickly back on his way.

Heading to lap 5, the breakaway is traversing the Côte de Kimihurura (1.3km at 6.2%). In the break are: Foldager, Bernard Huising, Garcia Pierna, Oliveira, Christen, Mayrhofer.

Only around 70 kilometres until Mount Kigali (5.9km at 6.7%), you can read all about it in our in-depth preview. Can the break of 7 make it to the top of that?

Full preview: Preview World Championship Men Elite - Payback time for Pogacar?

Foldager, Bernard, Huising, Garcia Pierna, Oliveira, Christen, Mayrhofer still push on and the group at the front hold an advantage of 2:31 over the peloton which is still controlled by Slovenia.

Pogacar has a nature break and is out the back, he has two teammates with him to work to bring him back. The gap is 2:31 between the break and the peloton.

After his nature break, Tadej Pogacar is back in the peloton. Was quite the long stop there for Pogacar!

Ilan Van Wilder is suspected to have broken his wrist according to Sporza as he is set to undergo scans shortly.

The youngest is Paul Seixas (France) at 19 years and 4 days

Oldest is Muradjan Khalmuratov (Uzbekistan) - 43 years and 109 days

A Difference of 24 years and 105 days!

The peloton continues to be thinned out with a relentless pace leading to riders dropping out the back. The peloton is still controlled by Team Belgium as the break holds a 2:30 gap.

There were some quite interesting images earlier with riders dashing in to the portaloo's for nature breaks including Remco Evenepoel. No idea why a camera is there...

The images we seen on the broadcast of riders dashing to the toilet is due to the fact that wild nature breaks are not allowed on the course today.

Marc Hirschi (Switzerland) - 2018
Matej Mohorič (Slovenia) - 2013
Michael Matthews (Australia) - 2010

Julian Alaphilippe (France) - 2020-2021
Peter Sagan (Slovakia) - 2015-2017
Paolo Bettini (Italy) - 2006-2007
Gianni Bugno (Italy) - 1991-1992
Rik Van Looy (Belgium) - 1960-1961
Rik Van Steenbergen (Belgium) - 1956-1957
Georges Ronsse (Belgium) - 1928-1929

Will Tadej Pogačar add his name to this exclusive list?

Foldager, Bernard, Huising, Garcia Pierna, Oliveira, Christen and Mayrhofer are holding their own out the head of the peloton with an advantage of 2:08. Coming up is the non-localised lap to Mount Kigali. That lap is around 30 kilometres.

The peloton has really started to get a move on, they have cut the gap by 30 seconds to the group at the front of the race, with the Belgian team setting the tempo.

2024 Zurich - Tadej Pogačar beat Ben O’Connor by 0:34
2023 Glasgow - Mathieu van der Poel beat Wout van Aert by 1:37
2022 Wollongong - Remco Evenepoel beat Christophe Laporte by 2:21
2021 Leuven - Julian Alaphilippe beat Dylan Van Baarle by 0:32
2020 Imola - Julian Alaphilippe beat Wout van Aert by 0:24

Coming up is the Mont Kigali along with the Mur de Kigali, two potential launchpads for glory? 52 riders have dropped out of the race as the breakaway holds 2 minutes on the Belgian lead peloton.

Only remaining at the front now are Foldager, Bernard and Oliveira, The trio hold a gap of 2:06 over the peloton.

The fans are packed out on the climb with the peloton now 1:30 behind the breakaway at the moment, still no attacks.

Nearly the end of the Mont Kigali, with Slovenia and Pogacar right at the front along with Evenepoel. Bernard has 55 seconds on the peloton lead by Novak.

Pogacar makes his move and Evenepoel is distanced. On Pogacar's wheel is his trade teammate Ayuso!

Not to be for Evenepoel today, he is dropped by a significant margin. Ayuso and Pogacar are at the front with Del Toro set to bridge!

There are riders all over the road with Carpaz's group potentially coming back but on the Mur de Kigali, Del Toro pushes on and Ayuso is dropped!

Roglic, Mollema, Skjelmose, Seixas, Sivakov, Healy, Carapaz and others, who are 38 seconds behind the front two. Evenepoel is in a group behind with some teammates with him.

Del Toro and Pogacar have a gap of 45 seconds over Tejada who has just attacked and then 49 seconds over the peloton with 91 kilometres to go.

There are now around 32 riders in the peloton behind Pogacar and Del Toro at the head of the race. The duo hold a steady 55 seconds which as not budged at all.

Still Del Toro and Pogacar push on and they extend their advantage to 54 seconds with the lack of chase behind in the huge group 2.

Team Belgium is now taking up the chase behind as Remco Evenepoel is not happy it seems with his saddle position and he bangs it aggressively.

Del Toro is now dropped by Pogacar as it appears Del Toro has 'bonked' Pogacar is now solo. The chase behind is really on!

It appeared at first that Del Toro was dropped due to some kind of hunger, but he is back on with Pogacar. Ben Healy attacks behind and has 41 seconds to makeup with Evenepoel now requiring a bike change. 

2021 Leuven - 79th junior
2024 Zürich - 6th under 23
2025 Kigali - ? elite

Evenepoel is now a minute down on the peloton after his latest bike change. 

Isaac Del Toro floated over the cobbles and left Juan Ayuso trailing.

Mikkel Honoré, Pavel Sivakov and Ben Healy are 34 seconds down on Pogacar and Del Toro. The duo at the front of the race are 59 seconds ahead of the swelled peloton.

It's quite not his feat from last year in Zurich, but Pogacar is now solo and could be on his way to back to back rainbow jersey's at this current rate.

In the interview after abandoning the Slovenian said, “Yeah he said if he felt super well he was going to do that.”

At just less than a minute behind, a large chase group has formed with Primož Roglič (Slovenia), Remco Evenepoel (Belgium), Quinten Hermans (Belgium), Cian Uijtdebroeks (Belgium), Mattias Skjelmose (Denmark), Andrea Bagioli (Italy), Gianmarco Garofoli (Italy), Thomas Pidcock (Great Britain), Valentin Paret-Peintre (France), Paul Seixas (France), Thymen Arensman (Netherlands), Bauke Mollema (Netherlands), Jai Hindley (Australia), Michael Storer (Australia), Juan Ayuso (Spain), Afonso Eulálio (Portugal), Jan Christen (Switzerland), Marc Hirschi (Switzerland), Andreas Leknessund (Norway), Harold Tejada (Colombia), Richard Carapaz (Ecuador), Toms Skujiņš (Latvia) and Artem Nych (Russia).

Which means that we have lost 99 rider along the way

Evenepoel after a near disaster earlier with the numerous bike changes is moving his way through as group 2 has been caught by the peloton. If Evenpoel was to come back to Pogacar would be quite the feat...

Evenepoel, Skjelmose, Healy, Pidcock and Hindley are 1:02 down on Pogacar who is on a solo expedition. Ayuso and Sexias are 20 seconds off of it.

Notably, Evenepoel has no UAE rider in his group. There is no teammate holding back the chase for Pogačar, so they can push full gas but their best hope is that the Slovenian eventually fades.

Seixas (France) and Ayuso (Spain) are dangling about 40 seconds behind the Evenepoel group.

Still Pogacar holds a minute over the chasing group pictured in the image.

Still, the chasing group has made no real ground on Pogacar who is solo with a 1:13 gap, it's starting to become a procession.

Evenepoel, Skjelmose and Healy remain in group 2 as Pidcock and Hindley are dropped.

The average race speed so far is more than 42km/h. Insane on a parcours like this!

Still the gap doesn't move to Pogacar between himself and group 2, let's see if Pogacar will be able to maintain this.

Already the fewest finishers in 20 years, with an hour of racing still to go.

Pidcock and Hindley have slipped more than a minute behind the trio of Evenepoel, Skjelmose and Healy.

Very reminiscent of the Oude Kwaremont in Belgium, Pogacar is zooming up the Côte de Kimihurura with a 1:08 gap.

Just 33 riders remain in the race with 31 kilometres still to cover. Where will this end?

Pogacar is an almost forgone conclusion for victory now, this looks very much over!

Pogacar has 1:20 over Evenepoel, Healy and Skjelmose and 3:54 over Pidcock. Quite insane time gaps in all honesty.

Evenepoel makes a move from group 2 and is now solo in an almost impossible chase of Pogacar a minute ahead. However, it's cycling so you never know!

Pogacar is 1:16 ahead of Evenepoel at this moment, as the top 2 looks to be secured!

When Pogačar brings it in today, he will join a very select list of riders who have defended the rainbow jersey in the men’s road race. The last to do so was Julian Alaphilippe (France) in 2021, while Peter Sagan (Slovakia) achieved it in both 2016 and 2017. Before them, Paolo Bettini (Italy) managed it in 2007, Gianni Bugno (Italy) in 1992, and Belgian legends Rik Van Looy (1961), Rik Van Steenbergen (1957) and Georges Ronsse (1929).

Evenepoel is losing ground on Pogacar and is 1:29 down. Skjelmose and Healy will compete for the remaining podium place.

In group 4 is Ciccone, Skujins, Eulálio, Del Toro who are 6 minutes down on Pogacar. Roglic, Pidcock and Seixas are 30 seconds off of that group.

Healy drops Skjelmose and is on his way to a bronze medal.

Tadej Pogacar is set to be a back to back World Champion!

Tadej Pogacar wins with yet another solo and is a back to back World Champion!!!

1st: Tadej Pogacar
2nd: Remco Evenepoel
3rd: Ben Healy

If you missed the race or would like a quick recap, have a read of our race report as Never in doubt: Tadej Pogacar goes long for repeat Worlds win in Rwanda.

What emotions for Pogacar as he crosses the line a 2x World Champion!

Meanwhile, it's a flood of tears for 2nd place Evenepoel who endured some rotten bad luck.

4th: Skjelmose
5th: Skujiņš
6th: Ciccone
7th: Del Toro
8th: Ayuso
9th: Eulálio
10th: Pidcock

Here's the still image of Pogacar crossing the line, fresh as a daisy.

Speaking in his post-stage interview Pogacar stated, "I'm so happy I made it."

It's time for the national anthem of Slovenia!

Take a click of the link here: Overview results 2025 UCI Road World Championships

That's all people for today's live coverage, We will see you next time and enjoy your day!