On the penultimate day of the 2025 UCI Road World Championships, the Junior and Elite Women took on Kigali’s city circuit, battling heat, elevation, and roaring crowds along the course.
Junior Women’s Road Race
The Junior Women’s race was the frist to roll out this morning from the Kigali Convention center. Alyssa Sarkisov (North Potomac, Md.; dcdevo Racing Academy), Lidia Cusack (Chevy Chase, Md.; Tofauti Everyone Active Majaco), Liliana Edwards (Washington, D.C.), and Alexis Jaramillo (Colorado Springs, Colo.; Sonic Boom Racing) lined up to take on five laps of the 74km course.
It quickly turned into a race of attrition. The blistering pace over the opening climbs whittled the field down to just 18 riders by the end of lap two, with sarkisov, Cusack, and Edwards still in the mix. The second half of the race grew more tactical, but many riders were already fatigued from the early efforts.
A decisive move on the final climb left four riders to contest the medals: Paula Ostiz Taco (ESP), Chantal Pegolo (ITA), Anja Grossman (SUI), and Sidney Swierenga (CAN). The race came down to a photo-finish sprint, with Ostiz Taco taking the world title for Spain.
Sarkisov was part of the chase group just behind, holding strong to secure a top-10 finish. Edwards crossed the line in 15th, followed by Cusack in 17th.
Results:
- Paula Ostiz Taco (ESP)
- chantal Pegolo (ITA)
- Anja Grossman (SUI)
- 10. Alyssa Sarkisov (USA)
- 15. Liliana Edwards (USA)
- 17. Lidia cusack (USA)
- 40. Alexis jaramillo (USA)
Elite Women’s road Race
Chloe Dygert (Brownsburg, Ind.; CANYON//SRAM Racing) and Ruth Edwards (Nederland, Colo.; Human Powered Health Cycling) represented Team USA in the 165km Elite Women’s Road Race at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships. with 3,350 meters of climbing over 11 laps of the Kigali circuit, the stage was set for a demanding day of racing.
The action started early with a breakaway from Jul