Canadian Rider Claims Rainbow Jersey with Bold Attack
Magdeleine Vallieres is your 2025 world road race champion.
The 24-year-old EF Education-Oatly rider from Sherbrooke, Québec attacked out of the breakaway on the final climb of the Kigali circuit and soloed to the finish to win her rainbow stripes.
Emotional Victory for Vallieres
“It was my dream to win it, and it’s true now! It’s crazy!” Mags said, through tears of joy after the finish.
Teamwork and Tactics Pay Off
Mags rode the perfect tactical race, joining a late race move and keeping its momentum going by pushing on the front, as the pre-race favorites in the peloton looked at each other. Mags knew she was flying after the pre-race altitude camp that she did with our team. Her Canadian teammates, including EF Education-Oatly’s Alison Jackson, backed her and rode for her from the start. Mags knew that if she believed in herself and gave it her all, her rainbow dream could come true.
Vallieres said:
The girls believed in me, so I believed in myself and I really committed to going for it. I prepared well. I knew I was on good form, so I just told myself I didn’t want to have any regrets.
She kept pushing the pace and urged the beak to keep going when their speed faltered. When she got to the bottom of the final climb, all that was left to do was go flat out to the top.
Looking Ahead to Montréal 2026
Vallieres said:
I knew I probably wouldn’t win in a sprint against Niamh, because she’s so strong. 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 Montréal, it’s perfect. I’ve been dreaming about this for a while now!
Top 10 Results — Elite Women’s Road Race, Kigali 2025
1. Magdeleine Vallieres (Canada)
2. Niamh Fisher-Black (New Zealand)
3. Mavi García (Spain)
4. Elise Chabbey (Switzerland)
5. Reijanne Markus (Netherlands)
17. Chloe Dygert (USA)
DNF Ruth Edwards (USA)
Watch Video Highlights
Photo – © EF Pro Cycling / EFproCycling.com
