Pauline Ferrand-Prévot has arrived in Kigali and has been previewing the city circuit, getting to know all of its intricacies, including the cobbled climb of the Côte de Kimihurura. It is her final preparation to win another rainbow jersey, to add to her collection of 15 world titles, this time in the elite women’s road race on Saturday at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda.
Speaking to select media from the Kim Hotel, located just a few hundred metres from the racing circuit’s final climb, the Frenchwoman said she is recovered from her stunning yellow-jersey victory at the Tour de France in early August, and is fully prepared to fight for the rainbow jersey, too, in Kigali.
“It has been two months, and so it’s been quite a long time. I didn’t feel really tired after the Tour. I was more happy, and just happy to share that victory with the French public, and to do some media things,” Ferrand-Prévot said.
The French national team will line up with seven riders, including Juliette Labous, Évita Muzic, Léa Curinier, Cédrine Kerbaol, Marie Le Net and Maeva Squiban.
The only other team to match the numbers of the French are the Italians, supporting Elisa Longo Borghini. Ferrand-Prévot believes that having strength in numbers will mean the difference between winning and losing on such a challenging course.
“Yes, it will help, for sure, because when we see how the lap is, it’s going to be super important to have a strong team. To control the race and to be good in positioning,” Ferrand-Prévot said.
There are also two climbs on the circuit: the Côte de Kigali Golf climb, 800 metres at 8.1% elevation gain halfway around the local circuit, and the decisive Côte de Kimihurura climb, 1.3km at 6.3% on the…
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