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Spain’s Paula Ostiz Makes History with First-Ever U19 Road Race Gold, Rwanda Celebrates Historic Finish
Spain’s Paula Ostiz etched her name into cycling history on Saturday, 27 September 2025, becoming the first Spaniard ever to win gold in the Women’s U19 Road Race since the category was introduced at the UCI Road World Championships.
Racing through the 74 km Kigali circuit, Ostiz crossed the line in 2 hours, 9 minutes, and 19 seconds, outpacing Italy’s Chantal Pegolo who took silver medal, and Switzerland’s Anja Grossmann who secured bronze medal. Canadian rider Sidney Swierenga narrowly missed a podium finish, clocking the same time as the medalists.
This landmark victory not only crowns Ostiz as the world’s strongest junior rider but also marks Spain’s first-ever gold medal in this category, underlining a new era for Spanish women’s cycling.
Africa also celebrated a breakthrough. Ethiopia’s Abdissa Senait powered to 7th place in 73 riders, making her the first African rider to crack the top 10 in both this Champion and U19 women’s road race—an achievement that signals the continent’s growing influence in the sport.
For the host nation Rwanda, history was written as well. Yvonne Masengesho and Liliane Uwiringiyimana became the first Rwandan girls ever to finish a U19 World Championship road race.
Masengesho placed 48th and Uwiringiyimana 49th, both finishing 12 minutes and 20 seconds behind the champion. Their milestone comes a day after Moise Ntirenganya completed the U19 men’s race, and following Samuel Niyonkuru’s finish in the U23 category.
The race was animated by late attacks: Greece’s Eirini Papadimitriou surged ahead with 5 km remaining but was reeled back after 1.5 km, while Dutch rider Roos Müller also attempted a breakaway only to be caught. And no more DNFs as well.
This year’s edition also carried emotional symbolism. The UCI confirmed that bib number 84 will never again be issued in women’s junior road races, honoring Muriel Furrer, the Swiss teenager who tragically died following a crash at the 2024 World Championships in Zurich.
With Ostiz’s golden triumph, Spain opens a new chapter in junior women’s cycling, while Rwanda celebrates its own milestone as local riders step onto the world stage with pride.
See some photos of this road race U19:
