By: Hee-Dee Walenga
19-year old Célia Gery made history by winning the women’s U23 UCI Road Championship at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships in Kigali, Rwanda. It was the first time the championships had a stand alone U23 women’s race. Gery completed the 119.3km race in 3:24:26. She finished two seconds ahead of Slovakia’s Viktória Chladoňová. Spain’s Paula Blasi took home the bronze medal. The 18-year-old Chladoňová picked up her second silver of the Championships, after finishing 2nd in the Women Under-23 Individual Time Trials.
Out of the 82 women who started the race, only 35 women completed the grueling course. Among the DNFs was Namibia’s Monique Du Plessis, who was battling injury after injuring her elbow and hip during a training ride. No African riders were among the 35 women who completed the race.
