Great Britain have named a 25-rider squad for the UCI Road World Championships in Kigali, Rwanda (21-28 September), with Tom Pidcock and Oscar Onley to spearhead the elite men on one of the hardest courses ever plotted, and Anna Henderson targeting the elite women’s time trial. Notably, GB will not start the elite women’s road race despite qualifying places, opting instead to concentrate resources on the inaugural standalone under-23 women’s events.
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ToggleElite focus and notable omissions
Pidcock arrives off a breakthrough Grand Tour podium at the Vuelta a España, while Onley’s fourth at the Tour de France underlines genuine medal ambitions on Kigali’s climb-stacked circuit. They are backed by Fred Wright, James Knox, Mark Donovan, and elite Worlds debutants Joe Blackmore, Oliver Knight and Bjorn Koerdt. Blackmore’s local knowledge as a former Tour du Rwanda winner could prove valuable on the city’s steep, repeating ascents.
There will be no British starters in the elite men’s time trial – Josh Tarling is still recovering from a back injury – and no GB team in the mixed relay TTT. On the women’s side, there is no British entry for the elite road race for the first time since 1994, with Henderson selected TT only and positioned as a medal contender following her Olympic silver in Paris.
British Cycling has leaned into a targeted approach shaped by medal potential, heavy logistics, and the severity of the Kigali parcours. The elite men face 267.5 km with 5,475 m of climbing, the under-23 women race 119.3 km with 2,435 m – both attritional circuits likely to split fields early.
Under-23 women take centre stage
With the under-23 women’s road race running as a separate event for the first time, GB brings a powerful group anchored by Cat Ferguson, Millie Couzens, Flora Perkins, Eilidh Shaw and Imogen Wolff, while Zoe Bäckstedt targets the U23 time trial. Ferguson, last year’s junior double world champion, is a leading favourite for the road race, Bäckstedt, a three-time junior world champion and British elite TT champion, is a major threat against the clock. Couzens will double up in TT and RR.
Junior firepower
The junior selections carry real medal prospects. Erin Boothman (RR & TT) leads the junior women alongside Arabella Blackburn, Gabriella McHugh, Abi Miller (RR & TT) and Mabli Phillips. The junior men feature reigning junior world TT champion Dylan Sage (RR & TT), Liège-Bastogne-Liège Juniors winner Harry Hudson, Max Hinds (RR & TT) and Matthew Peace.
Quotes
Performance director Stephen Park framed Kigali as both a development platform and a medal hunt:
“The event provides a tough course that will ask a lot from our riders, but I am confident that, as ever, they are up to the task and will bring home some fantastic results. The event in Rwanda offers huge development opportunities for our younger riders to get a taste of racing at this level, while pushing our elite riders to their limits.”
Great Britain squad – UCI Road World Championships 2025
Elite men (road race)
- Joe Blackmore
- Mark Donovan
- Oliver Knight
- James Knox
- Bjorn Koerdt
- Oscar Onley
- Tom Pidcock
- Fred Wright
Elite women
- Anna Henderson, TT only
Under-23 men
- Callum Thornley, road race only
Under-23 women
- Zoe Bäckstedt, TT only
- Millie Couzens, TT and RR
- Cat Ferguson, road race
- Flora Perkins, road race
- Eilidh Shaw, road race
- Imogen Wolff, road race
Junior men
- Max Hinds, RR and TT
- Harry Hudson, road race
- Matthew Peace, road race
- Dylan Sage, RR and TT
Junior women
- Arabella Blackburn, road race
- Erin Boothman, RR and TT
- Gabriella McHugh, road race
- Abi Miller, RR and TT
- Mabli Phillips, road race
Also not entered: elite men’s TT (injury/selection), elite women’s road race (strategic focus on U23), mixed relay TTT.
Main photo credit: SWPix.com