France Eyes U23 Men’s Title Following Junior Success at World Championships
Kigali, Rwanda – September 26, 2025 – Moments after celebrating a gold medal in the junior men’s race, France turns its attention to the U23 men’s online race at the World Championships in Kigali. British cyclist Harry Hudson currently leads the junior race wiht approximately 5km remaining,holding a lead over Spaniards Javier Cubillas adn Benjamin Noval,alongside Frenchman Johan Blanc.
The U23 race, set to be live commented from 12 noon, features a strong French contingent including Victor Loulergue, Antoine L’Hotte, and Maxime Decomble, who secured a bronze medal in the time trial. This follows the historic victory of 19-year-old Célia Géry, who yesterday became the first world champion in the newly established U23 women’s category, defeating Slovakia’s Viktoria Chladonova in a sprint finish. Marion Bunel contributed to the win, finishing fifth.
Several riders are considered strong contenders in the U23 race. Eighteen-year-old Belgian Jarno Widar Grand, a protégé of the Lotto formation, is a favorite after a strong performance at the future round where he won two stages and finished second overall. Italian Lorenzo Finn, the reigning junior champion, and Spaniards Adrià Pericas and Jakob Ormzel of Slovenia are also expected to challenge for the title, alongside Swedish cyclist Jakob Söderqvist.
As of 10:39 AM local time, the junior race is nearing its conclusion, with Hudson maintaining a lead of approximately one second over Italian Roberto Capello and Cubillas. Earlier, at 10:28 AM, Hudson was reported to be more than 15 seconds ahead of the Spanish duo and Blanc.
