French cyclist Fabien Doubey wins Tour of Rwanda 2025

KIGALI, March 2 (Xinhua) -- French cyclist Fabien Doubey won the 2025 Tour of Rwanda, an international cycling competition that concluded in Kigali on Sunday.

Doubey, 31, riding for Team TotalEnergies, emerged as the overall winner of the 17th edition of the race after leading the general classification standings at the end of Stage 7.

Due to slippery road conditions caused by adverse weather, the International Cycling Union (UCI) jury president decided to halt the eighth and final stage with one lap remaining. As a result, the standings from Stage 7 were used to determine the overall winner.

Doubey secured victory with a total race time of 19 hours, 40 minutes, and 2 seconds, followed by Eritrean cyclist Henok Mulubrhan in second place with a time of 19:40:06. German cyclist Oliver Mattheis finished third with a total race time of 19:40:11.

Rwandan cyclist Vainqueur Masengesho secured seventh place in the general classification standings with a total race time of 19:40:51.

"We experienced rain, which made the roads slippery, and the UCI made the right decision to stop the race. I managed to win, but it was not an easy decision. However, I believe it was necessary for everyone's safety," Doubey told reporters shortly after being declared the winner of the 2025 Tour of Rwanda.

Samson Ndayishimiye, president of the Rwanda Cycling Federation, told Xinhua at the event that safety measures during the Tour of Rwanda were effective, and all riders finished the race without issues.

"Throughout the week, the weather was favorable, but unfortunately, on the last day, it didn't go our way. However, we appreciated the UCI's decision to prioritize rider safety, and everyone accepted it without complaints," he said.

Ndayishimiye added, "We are working towards the UCI World Championships in September this year, and our national cycling team has been in a training camp for some time - not just for the Tour of Rwanda, but also to ensure we are in the best position for the UCI Championships."

The Rwanda Cycling Federation expects many Rwandan riders to compete in the World Championships, gain valuable experience, and continue participating in the Tour of Rwanda in the future.

The 2025 Tour of Rwanda took place from Feb. 23 to March 2, featuring 69 riders from 14 teams, including 39 from Africa, 26 from Europe, three from Asia and Oceania, and one from the United States.

The Tour of Rwanda started as a local event before gaining UCI recognition in 2009. It was upgraded to the UCI 2.1 category in 2019.

This year's race also served as a precursor to the 2025 UCI Road World Championships, which will be held in Kigali in September. ■