This UCI Road World Championships looks different. You might think that sounds trite, or simplistic, or even obvious, given it is the first ever Road Worlds to take place in Africa, but it is still worth noting. Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, has provided such a different backdrop to the sport we are all used to. This isn’t the bergs of Flanders or Alpine mountain passes, but the roads of the East African country, with different trees, different views, different skies, somehow, and it’s a thrill.
This is what makes cycling so special a sport. Unlike almost any other, it shows off a place just as much as showing the action. You can learn a lot from watching a bike race, more than just who is fastest; it’s almost like an accidental travel documentary. Put Michael Palin in a skinsuit, and it might just be the whole package – this does sound like an Alan Partridge TV pitch.
