Britain has a new junior road world champion. Harry Hudson struck out alone on the penultimate lap of the men’s junior road race in Kigali and never looked back.
Hudson’s bold move gave him enough of a cushion to fend off a furious late chase from France’s Johan Blanc and Poland’s Jan Michal Jackowiak. Blanc won the sprint for silver, with Jackowiak crossing in third.
Early moves in Kigali
The 119-km race featured eight laps of the very tough circuit. It included repeated climbs over the steep Côte de Kigali Golf (800 m at 8.1 per cent) and the cobbled Côte de Kimihurura (1.3 km at 6.3 per cent).
What’s next for the new Junior World Champion Harry Hudson?
A new home with Lidl-Trek Future Racing! 🤝
Congratulations Harry! 🌈🏆 pic.twitter.com/Ff84VoZGVj
— Lidl-Trek (@LidlTrek) September 26, 2025
Early aggression set the tone. Riders from the U.S. and Hungary carved out the first meaningful gap, while Italian and Belgian squads kept the chase measured. As the laps ticked down, a reshuffling at the front drew in Spain’s Benjamín Noval and other favourites, but the peloton regrouped with three laps to go.
Off Hudson goes
Hudson seized the moment on the next circuit. He quickly carved out a 40-second advantage, while Dutch hope Michiel Mouris struggled to hold contact behind. A late push from Noval and Blanc narrowed the gap, but disaster struck for Spain when Noval slid out on the cobbles and was left clutching his wrist.
That cleared the way for Hudson, who dug deep on the final climb to resist the charging Blanc and Jackowiak.
Ben Morin was top Canadian in 32nd, with Hubert Lamothe coming in 64th. Toronto’s Ashlin Barry, riding for USA Cycling, came in 26th.
Next up on Friday are the under-23 men. On Saturday, the elite women race, and the final event is on Sunday with the elite men. You can watch the races on Flobikes.com, but be sure to check back here on Canadian Cycling Magazine for reports and more! The next races will be incredible.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…