UCI Road World Championships LIVE - Seven riders up the road as Pogačar and Evenepoel prepare to do battle in Elite men's road race

It's kicking off in the peloton already, with Mauro Schmid making an attack.

The gap's at about 1:30, but at this rate will continue to fall as the peloton ups the pace.

130KM TO GO

This is where the race will diverge from what we’ve seen so far, with the riders leaving the short circuit to take on a longer one, including a few new climbs.

While Ruvalcaba has abandoned the race, Del Toro's other Mexican teammate, Eder Frayre is right at the front helping the pace-setting. His work with the Belgian's has seen the gap fall significantly in recent kilometres, to about 1:35, as they cross the line for the ninth time.

While Pogačar and Evenepoel are the favourites, Isaac del Toro could throw a real spanner in the works. He’s young and has no experiences of racing this distance, and has a weaker Mexican team of just two domestiques to support him (one of whom, David Ruvalcaba has just abandoned); but the way he rode at the Giro earlier this year, and his prolific run of victories since then, means he has to be watched closely.

While we wait for the action to kick off, have a read of the riders we picked out as the main ones to watch in the fight for the rainbow jersey.

Road World Championships – Pogačar, Evenepoel or a new rainbow jersey? Riders to watch in the elite men's road race

Belgium continue to lead the peloton, keeping the gap hovering at around 2:10.

140KM TO GO

Govekar and Primožič both have now abandoned, following Žumer from earlier. That leaves Pogačar down to 6 teammates.

Pogačar has lost anothe teammate from the peloton on that climb, with Matevž Govekar following Primožič in being dropped.

The pace was up on that climb, the gap coming down anout 30 seconds to just over two minutes due to the work from Belgium.

They're taking on the cobbled climb again, and Iván Romeo and Slovenia's Jaka Primožič are the latest to be dropped.

The gap between the seven leaders and the peloton remains much the same, at 2:40.

150KM TO GO

Evenepoel is feeling buoyant following his victory in the time trial last weekend, and is now looking to seal a Worlds double in the same manner he did at the Olympics last year. He says he and the Belgium team have a plan for how to defeat Pogačar.

'We can't be overconfident' – Remco Evenepoel boosted by TT win but still sees rivals in Pogačar, Pidcock and Del Toro for World Championships road race

Evenepoel, making his way back to the peloton.

Evenepoel is back in the peloton. That took him a lot less time than it did for Pogačar the lap before.

Pogačar's down a teammate - Matic Žumer is the latest to abandon.

Evenepoel follows in Pogačar's stead by using the portable toilet at the start of the circuit for a comfort break.

The gap continues to hold steady, at 2:30.

160KM TO GO

There’s been a slight change at the front of the peloton as the near the end of the seventh lap, with Belgium now taking total control while the Slovenians drop back more, not having resumed at the front since Pogačar returned to the peloton.

Georg Zimmermann is the latest rider to drop out the back of the peloton labouring on the cobbles up the Côte de Kimihurura. The race might not be on yet in terms of attacks and accelerations, but this brutal course is still taking its toll.

You can read more on the abandons of Julian Alaphilippe and the other big names who have dropped out already.

Former double World Champion Julian Alaphilippe, reported ill, abandons elite men's road race after just 31 kilometres

The pace remained much the same during Pogačar's time out the back. The gap is still at 2:30.

170KM TO GO

One rider who hasn't made it back into the peloton is Luke Plapp. The Australian has abandoned.

Pogačar and his two teammates are back in the peloton.

Pogačar’s just had to stop with a couple of teammates, and is now making his way back to the peloton. It must have been for either a comfort break or a mechanical.

Belgium's Florian Vermeersch leads the peloton over the finish line to complete the sixth lap, swamped by the green contingent of Slovenian riders behind him. Just three more laps now until they head off the small circuit for the first time to take on the big circuit out of town.

While others blamed the tactics for the favourites’ failure to bring back the break yesterday, Kasia Niewiadoma pointed out how the conditions made things difficult for them. We shouldn’t understate how much all this riding at high altitude will sap away at the riders’ strength throughout the day - and could produce more surprise results today.

Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney blames altitude and climate for 'weird' and 'passive' World Championships road race

It' still Slovenia and Belgium pulling at the front of the peloton.

The gap's come down some more, to 2:33. Slovenia and Belgium aren't granting these riders too much of a lead.

180KM TO GO

Elisa Longo Borghini praised the breakaway medalists, while also lamenting how her group was ‘a bit stupid’. ‘It's pretty clear what happened. Everyone was looking at each other, and we lost the race.’

'Chapeau, they were the bravest' - Elisa Longo Borghini congratulates winning breakaway, takes time to reflect on poor performance at Rwanda Worlds

While some were frustrated with yesterday's women’s road race, others felt they couldn’t have done much more. One rider was Demi Vollering, whose Dutch team were this year more disappointed by their lack of legs than their lack of cooperation.

'Another year that the dream is a little bit crushed' – Demi Vollering misses out at World Championships, but praises Dutch team

Will Barta is the latest to abanon the race, having done some work at the front of the peloton earlier for USA.

Luke Plapp as been dropped from the peloton. That's a surprise, given how good a climber he is, and how low the pace is at the moment.

Kim Le Court-Pienaar was also frustrated with how yesterday's race unfolded, criticising the riders accompanying her in the group of favourites for not working together.

'I'd rather try everything and come last' – Kim Le Court-Pienaar criticises 'stupid' lack of cooperation in World Championships road race

It's 2:48 now for the lead group. That's come down a few seconds over the last few kilometres.

Taking heed from yesterday’s race, the favourites will not want to lose control of the race should it start getting chaotic. This morning the news was full of discontented riders lamenting the wasted opportunity. Tour de France champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot called the race a ‘big mess.’

'It was a big mess' - Pauline Ferrand-Prévot says tactical game went wrong among major favourites at Rwanda Worlds

Slovenia, along with Belgium's Florian Vermeersch, lead the peloton as they climb the Côte de Kimihurura for the fifth time. They will be all too familiar with it by the end of the day - they still have eleven more ascents of it to complete.

Mechanical for Victor Campanaerts. He could have a big role to play for Evenepoel later today, remembering the brilliant work he did as a domestique for Jonas Vingegaard's Visma-Lease a Bike at the Tour de France.

While it’s calm for now, the early attacks might foreshadow how this race will be taken on later, as riders try to figure out a way to stop Tadej Pogačar from doing his thing.

Yesterday’s women’s road race might provide a template, given how the victor came from an early move that took the favourites off guard. In her own words, here’s how Magdeleine Vallieres said she claimed that unlikely victory.

'I took the risk' - Magdeleine Vallieres makes history with stunning breakaway to claim Canada's first elite road race rainbow jersey at Rwanda Worlds

The break's lead has grown over the last few kilometres since the climb, and has exceeded three minutes for the first time today.

200KM TO GO

They’ve been racing for over an hour and a half, and there are still 200km left to ride. This is one of the most demanding races of the year.

France are down from nine riders to seven already, with Louis Barré the latest to pull out. He was seen dropping out of the peloton, and, like Alaphilippe, looked out of sorts. Illness in the French team, perhaps?

Here is home favourite Eric Manizabayo, on the attack.

Manizabayo is battling up the climb to huge cheers from the crowd, and the race announcer, and just about stays clear of the peloton by the top. The race for the rainbow jersey might not be fully on yet, but Manizabayo is involved in his own mission.

The peloton's defecit to the leads has come down a little, to just under two minutes. Manizabayo is hovering just a few seconds ahead of them.

210KM TO GO

Mechanical for Frank van den Broek, as they take on the cobbled Kimihurura climb again.

Just as we say that, another attack comes out of the peloton - and it’s the same rider as usual, Eric Manizabayo. The Rwandan is desperate to put on a show for his home crowds.

It’s all much calmer in the peloton now. The riders amble though a fed one and pick up bidons, to keep themselves hydrated in the humid conditions.

Unsurprisingly, Pogačar’s Slovenia and Evenepoel’s Belgium teams have done the bulk of the work at the front of the peloton, though they’ve now been joined by the USA.

Van Wilder is soldiering on, but he’s got a lot of ground to make up to rejoin the peloton. This is bad news for Evenepoel, as he’s one of the Belgian’s top domestiques.

Soler has also dropped out.

Britain’s Bjorn Koerdt had got back up and riding after being one of those to crash, but has now decided to abandon.

Rwanda's attacker Manizabayo is back in the peloton.

It seems all those involved in the crash are back on the bike, but some, including Van Wilder, are looking a little worse for wear.

Meanwhile up ahead, Pierna has at last joined the leaders, who now have a lead of 2:40 on the peloton.

There’s been a crash, some of the big nations involved. Belgium’s Van Wilder and Spain’s Soler are both involved.

Jai Hindley of Australia needs a wheel change. Thankfully for him, this mechanical has happened during a calmer phase of the race.

Pierna is closing in on the leaders, now just 20 seconds away.

There’s another attack from the peloton, this time from a home favourite, Rwanda’s Eric Manizabayo. They’re happy to let this one go.

Several riders representing the less renowned nations have already abandoned. This has been a gruelling start to the race, with attacking being made when you'd expect the race to be settled.

The leading sextet have almost two minutes again on the peloton, with Pierna about halfway in between.

230KM TO GO

Here's the breakaway, climbing during the last lap.

Madouas is back in the peloton.

Alaphilippe, on the attack before abandoning the race.

The peloton has settled down again, and is allowing the lead group's advantage to grow again. Pierna is still in between the two groups.

It’s been confirmed that Alaphilippe has abandoned the race. That was a typically erratic cameo from the Frenchman, attacking one moment, then out the back shortly after. We can only assume he must be suffering from some kind of ill-health, as the two-time champion was one of the outside favourites for the victory.

Pidcock is back in the peloton.

He had been joined by Campanaerts, Tejada, Wright and Seixas, but they’re all set to be reabsorbed by the peloton.

Del Toro has sat up, along with other attackers.

It’s all still kicking off in the peloton - Del Toro is one of the latest to attack!

Tom Pidcock is also out the back, presumably with some kind of mechanical problem.

Madouas has had to drop back with a mechanical. We’ve already seen most of the French contingent today, be it out the back or the front of the peloton.

The flurry of action has seen the leading 6's gap gall to only a little more than a minute Pierna is about 10 seconds ahead of the peloton.

240KM TO GO

The peloton.

The peloton is back together, but still the French are trying to break it up, as another riders tries an attack.

Raúl García Pierna is the lastest to attack from the peloton, and has a gap.

Having been up the road moments ago, Alaphilippe is now dropped out the back.

That’s stretched the bunch out, to the point where a small group has gone off the front. Among them are the Slovenian riders, who are gesturing for more calm.

There are more attacks from the peloton, and again it's the French who are igniting it, this time with Valentin Paret-Peintre and Paul Seixas.

We have our first DNF of the day - Ahmet Örken of Turkey.

The peloton don’t like Alaphilippe's presence up the road. They upped the race, and have brought him back along with Batsaikhan.

Alaphilippe is up to Batsaikhan and is pressing on.

Just when it had seemed the race was settling down, there’s been an attack. Ever the aggressor and unpredictable racer, Julian Alaphilippe has jumped out of the peloton.

The six leaders are two minutes ahead of the peloton, with Batsaikhan about halfway in between.

250KM TO GO

In between, Mongolia’s Tegsh-Bayar Batsaikhan attacked out of the peloton and wanted to join the leader. He has a substantial gap to make up, of almost a minute.

The peloton has sat up, apparently happy with the make up of this break, despite the strong names and nations represented. They’re over a minute adrift.

Make that 6 - Bernard has succeeded in bridging up to them.

Despite the attacks, the five leaders are all together as they cross the finish line, upon completion of the first lap.

As the riders climb the cobbled Côte de Kimihurura, for the first time, the front group is threatening to break up, with Oliveira trying to accelerate from the others.

Julien Bernard is trying to bridge up from the peloton to the break.

Already a few riders have been dropped out of the peloton.

Anders Foldager and Fabio Christen have joined the front group.

This is a strong trio - Mayrhofer, Oliveira and Huising are all elite riders. They have a lead of about 7 seconds.

260KM TO GO

And now Walters has been dropped by those three.

Huising, Marius Mayrhoffer and Ivo Oliveira have caught Walters.

Menno Huising from he Dutch team is in pursuit of Walters, who leads by a handful of seconds.

The Slovenian team leading the peloton during the neutralised section.

Red Walters of Grenada is the first rider to get a gap.

Lots of the conspicuous green jersey of Pogačar’s Slovenian team are massed near the front of the peloton, no doubt wanting to stay attentive to make sure no dangerous riders get up the road.

And they're off!

OFFICIAL START

This long day of racing is about to get underway, as the riders move through the neutralised section in Kigali. Anticipation is building!

Yesterday’s elite women’s road race also demonstrated how this route can produce unpredictable racing. In that race, all of the top tier favourites were thwarted as Magdeleine Vallieres became one of the most surprising winners of the rainbow jersey in the event’s history. That race showed how this route, though selective, can ignite chaos, and be difficult for even the strongest teams to control.

Road World Championships: Canada’s Magdeleine Vallieres conquers final climb to win elite women's road race

There are reasons to believe that Pogačar might not have everything his own way. On his last day of racing, back at the beginning of the Championships, he suffered one of his most humbling days when Remco Evenepoel trounced him in the time trial. Evenepoel is riding again today, and is set to be Pogačar’s main rival for gold.

There’s no doubt who the favourite is today. Tadej Pogačar won last year’s race at a canter, and has spent his year in the rainbow jersey in virtually unbeatable form. On a selective route that suits him, all eyes will be on the Slovenian.

A week of thrilling racing in Kigali comes to a close with the final event of the Championships - the elite men’s road race.

Hello and welcome to the 2025 World Championships men's road race!