France, Sept. 20 -- The Rwandan capital Kigali will from Sunday host some of the biggest names in cycling, including the men's and women's Tour de France winners, for the first staging in Africa of the UCI road world championships.

The championships date back to 1921 when the Danish capital Copenhagen staged the first edition with only one race - a men's road event for amateurs.

Just over a century on, six road races, six individual time trials, and a mixed relay team time trial will play out over the streets and hills around Kigaliuntil 28 September.

It will be the first year with a standalone women's under-23 race. In previous editions, the under-23 winner was simply the highest-placed rider under 23 in the women's elite race.

"Well...