Canadian Magdeleine Vallieres won the women’s elite road race at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships on Saturday in Kigali, Rwanda.
The 24-year-old from Sherbrooke, Que, riding for the U.S.-based EF Education-Oatly team, attacked out of the breakaway on the final climb of the Kigali circuit and held on for the historic victory.
She became the first-ever Canadian to win an elite road race world title.
“It was my dream to win it, and it’s true now. It’s crazy,” said Vallieres, backed by a team that included Canadian Alison Jackson.
Vallieres finished the 164.6-kilometre course in four hours 34 minutes 48 seconds. New Zealand’s Niamh Fisher-Black was second, 23 seconds back, and Spain’s Mavi Garcia third, another four seconds in arrears.
“The girls believed in me, so I believed in myself and I really committed to going for it,” said Vallieres. “I prepared well. I knew I was on good form, so I just told myself I didn’t want to have any regrets.”
Vallieres, who participated in a pre-race altitude camp with her teammates, joined a late-race breakaway and pushed the pace in the group.
At the bottom of the final climb, the Canadian made her move.
“I knew I probably wouldn’t win in a sprint against Niamh, because she’s so strong,” Vallieres said. “We were both really committed to the break, working really hard.
“I saw that she was fading a little bit, so I told myself I just have to go all in now and try and it worked out in the end. I don’t believe it yet, for sure not. It is great to do it here and with the worlds next year in Montreal, it’s perfect. I’ve been dreaming about this for a while now.”
