World champs picture changes in Kigali.
Tadej Pogacar’s dominance of world road cycling in the last two years has been so complete that pundits and punters now pencil him in as the winner of any event he enters – then get on with the job of choosing who’ll be runner-up.
After Pogacar won the World Championship Road Race in Zurich in 2024, few pedal fans disagreed when IDLProcycling predicted he’d keep repeating until at least 2027.
Last weekend the picture changed quite dramatically – on the opening day of this year’s championships being staged in Kigali, Rwanda. Almost unbelievably, Pogacar got overtaken.
In the World Championship Time Trial – the first of the week’s events – Belgian ace Remco Evenepoel overhauled the four-time Tour de France champion, who had been favourite for both the time trial and this coming Sunday’s marquee event, the road race.
Pogacar started two and a half minutes ahead of Evenepoel in the 40.6km “race of truth” but was passed in the closing stages and finished 48 seconds down. The unlikeliness of this scene was reflected in the incredulous tone of the TV commentators’ voices.
“It’s a hard one to swallow,” admitted a stunned-looking Slovenian afterwards.
Sunday road race
Pogacar remains the bookmakers’ favourite to win the big one on Sunday – at 1.50, having eased slightly.
Evenepoel has shortened to 4.50 after his stunning display of strength and fitness under the African sun.
Sunday’s course is one of the toughest in memory of the world champs, with the 267.5km journey incorporating 5,475m of climbing. It involves 15 laps of a 15km circuit through Kigali, with a breakaway into the countryside and over Mount Kigali in the middle.
The route has been described as ideal for climbers with sprinters being advised to stay at home.
Pogacar and Evenepoel are well suited to the conditions, as are Isaac del Toro (Mexico, 8.00), Tom Pidcock (Britain, 15.00), Mattias Skjelmose (Denmark, 21.00), Juan Ayuso (Spain, 26.00), Ben Healy (Ireland, 29.00) and Richard Carapaz (Ecuador, 34.00).
Longer shots include Giulio Ciccone (Italy), Primoz Roglic (Slovenia), Quinn Simmons (US), Jay Vine (Australia) and Oscar Onley (Britain).
All Betway odds correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
