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Pogacar eyes gold in Rwanda hills in first African world championships

LONDON :Rwanda is known as the 'land of a thousand hills', so from a sporting perspective it is fitting that its capital Kigali will stage the first UCI World Road Championships in Africa.

The verdant country has a rich cycling culture and thousands of fans are expected to line the routes of the races that begin this Sunday with the women's and men's elite time trials.

A week later it culminates with cycling superstar Tadej Pogacar favourite for the men's road race on a 265km course being touted as the toughest in the history of the event.

While no doubt a landmark event for cycling and Rwanda, the decision to stage it in a country bordering war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo and which backs the M23 rebel group has brought accusations by rights groups of 'sportswashing'.

Security fears have dogged the build-up but International Cycling Union (UCI) head David Lappartient said there was no Plan B and prefers to see it as an opportunity to globalise the sport and inspire a future generation of African riders.

"It's a bit of blue sky on a grey day," Lappartient said recently in an interview with Cyclist magazine, when highlighting sport's power to build bridges.

"I believe the right thing to do is to go to Rwanda. We have never been to Africa. We knew there would be challenges but we will have wonderful races, wonderful images worldwide."

While there are some notable absentees from the line-up, a stellar cast of riders will assemble in Kigali.

Belgium's Remco Evenepoel will be favourite to win the men's time trial gold for a third successive year on Sunday and will start heavy favourite on the 40.6km course that starts at the BK Arena, the largest indoor stadium in east Africa.

Slovenia's Pogacar will have his eyes on the

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