If it weren't for the fact they were racing for their respective nations at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships in Kigali, the trio of UAE Team Emirates-XRG riders - Tadej Pogačar, Juan Ayuso and Isaac del Toro - that formed the decisive move in the elite men's road race almost seemed planned.
The breakaway started with 104km to go over the mid-race centrepiece climb, Mont Kigali, located on the larger extension loop. However, by the time they reached the steep, cobbled Mur de Kigali with 99km remaining, Ayuso could no longer hang on.
22 kilometres later, Del Toro was dropped, too, while Pogačar went on to triumph after a 66km solo breakaway victory to win his second consecutive world title in Kigali.
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"The plan was to go on Mont Kigali with a small group, and it happened, but this group fell apart too early. I was alone and had to manage on my own. It was a tough one to finish it off," Pogačar said later.
Auyso explained that the 5.6km Mont Kigali climb suited him well but that his legs were fatigued after the opening nine laps of a gruelling city circuit, and subsequently even more so after the six closing circuits of the elite men's 267.5km race.
He was the only rider initially to react to Pogačar's attack on Mont Kigali, and Del Toro joined the pair on the descent. However, once they reached the steep and cobbled 400m Mur de Kigali, Ayuso's race for the rainbow jersey was over.
"On the long efforts, I feel better, and that was the longest effort of the day, so I was happy with how I felt there," Ayuso said.
"But when we got to the shorter efforts on the pavé, which today was horrible for me; every time we did those, 15 times on these circuits, I suffered a lot."
Ayuso settled into a chase group on the six final city circuits and finished in eighth place, 6:47 behind winner Pogačar. Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) secured the silver medal 1:28 back after battling through two bike changes, and Ben Healy finished with the bronze medal at 2:16 back. Only 30 riders finished the race, which was one of the toughest in the World Championships' history.
"I think the result today is not going to change my career, but I learned a lot today. I did a really good race," Ayuso said.
"When the race started [on Mont Kigali], I was there. I got dropped [on Mur de Kigali], and I knew I had to build myself up again and try to search for some energy. I got my act together and felt OK."
Del Toro
Del Toro might have hung on to Pogačar's wheel a little longer, but the Mexican all-rounder said stomach problems affected his race, and he ended up in the same chase group as Auyso, finishing seventh place on the day.
"Yes, I had complications when I was with Tadej Pogačar. I had stomach problems. Also, it's not like I [was] dropped because of this, maybe I would have [been] dropped two laps later with normal legs," Del Toro told Flobikes.
"I also had problems at this moment and then again on the last lap. I needed to drop [back]. I was not fighting for the top five anyway. I had stomach problems the whole day. After we pulled on Mont Kigali, it just started, and I never came back feeling good."
Some suggested that Pogačar and Del Toro appeared to be working together when they were off the front alone, and that Pogačar appeared to have waited for him at one point and encouraged him to continue.
Del Toro denied that he and Pogačar were working together, stating that he had the full support of his Mexican national squad at the Rwanda Worlds and was grateful for the opportunity to compete alongside his compatriots.
"No, I tried not to respect [him] too much when I am against him and I try to hurt his legs, but it's not possible. I went all-in, but he just smiled and I smiled, too, and said, 'OK, we have 100km to go.'
"But I know what my level is, and I am a fighter, and I did this for my teammates. They were fully committed for me from the beginning, and that is something I respect," Del Toro said.
When asked if Ayuso felt that Pogačar and Del Toro might have been working against him after his highly-publicised transfer from UAE Team Emirates to Lidl-Trek in 2026, the Spaniard said, 'I don't think so. I think we all raced to win."
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