Kigali: Namibia's junior riders began their quest for medals on Monday with mixed results at the 2025 International Cycling Union (UCI) Road World Championships held in Kigali, Rwanda. The city of Kigali has become the hub of global cycling, with over 1,500 cyclists from 197 countries expected to compete in the most demanding races of the 2025 UCI Road World Championships, which run from 21 to 28 September for the first time on the African continent in the event's 103-year history.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Namibia's cycling team sent four juniors, including Roger Suren, Marco Thiel, Delsia van Vuuren, and Rosemarie Thiel, to participate in the championships. In their opening event, Namibia's UCI junior cross-country silver medallist Suren finished 36th in the Individual Time Trial (ITT), competing against 85 riders. Suren posted a time of 32 minutes, 10 seconds, and 81 hundredths (32:10:81) over the 22.6-kilometre loop.

The Netherlands' Michiel Mouris won the ITT with a time of 29:07:61. American Ashlin Barry finished second, and Belgian Seff van Kerckhove took the third spot on the podium. Suren's performance placed him fourth among African riders at the championship. South African rider Josh Johnson, who finished 25th, was the first African to beat Suren's time with 30:55:38. Tristan Hardy of Mauritius finished 30th with a time of 31:48:55, and Moroccan Marouane Kharbouchi completed the course in 31:56:08, finishing 31st.

Another Namibian rider, Marco Thiel, finished 62nd with a time of 36:10:91. In the women's junior ITT category, Delsia van Vuuren ranked 41st, and Rosemarie Thiel finished 45th out of 47 junior riders. Namibian riders will take part again on Friday and Saturday in the road race.