Soudal-QuickStep have decided to pull out of the upcoming Tour du Rwanda after growing safety concerns over the developing conflict in the Goma region of the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Tour du Rwanda is scheduled to take place from February 23 to March 2 in and around Kigali, roughly 160km east of Goma, with stage 3 just 15km away in Rubavu.
The developing conflict in the area has not only raised a concern for the Tour du Rwanda but also for the 2025 UCI Road World Championships scheduled to take place in Kigali from September 21-29.
The Belgian team was due to field their development team with several WorldTour riders on the roster. Soudal-QuickStep CEO Jurgen Foré told Sporza on Friday that his riders' safety is his biggest priority.
"We do not want to make any political statements. As in every conflict, there will be a deeper cause," Foré said.
"We started looking at the advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, and that shows a number of points of attention, especially for the region with the border with Goma.
"We looked at the situation yesterday. The start and finish in the risk area, where our hotel is also located, did worry us a bit. I also noticed that the staff was rightly concerned. In the end, we made the decision not to send 20 people there if there was no absolute guarantee that this could be done safely."
Several of the Tour du Rwanda host cities are also close to the border with Goma, including stage 3, which starts in Musanze, about 60km to the east, and finishes in Rubavu, about 15km to the east. Stage 4 is also set to start in Rubavu before the race heads back toward Kigali.
According to the BBC, the M23 rebel group is currently assaulting the city of Goma and already holds the airport and much of the regional capital. A Rwanda government spokesman recently told the BBC that troops had been deployed to the Goma frontier area as a security measure.
The United Nations is amongst those saying there is evidence Rwanda backs the M23 uprising, but Rwanda denies giving the rebels direct military support. Human Rights Watch has stated, "Fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is having catastrophic consequences for the humanitarian situation around Goma."
The United Nations has reported that nearly 3,000 people have been killed in a fight between M23 militants and the DRC national army over control of the eastern city of Goma.
Teams Soudal-QuickStep and Lotto had initially planned to send teams to the event, but both told Dernière Heure last week that they were monitoring the situation closely.
Organisers of the Tour du Rwanda have confirmed that the event will go ahead and attempted to reassure those concerned about safety in a statement issued on Wednesday, February 5.
"The ongoing situation in Eastern DRC is a conflict between the DRC government and a Congolese armed group. There has only been one occasion recently when this fighting has briefly affected those living on the Rwandan side of the border. All measures have been taken to ensure that this doesn't happen again," the statement read.
"Life in Rubavu and all across Rwanda continues as normal. Therefore, the Tour du Rwanda can proceed without any alterations to the schedule, and riders, teams and supporters can be assured of a safe and enjoyable event."
Foré had already told Het Nieuwsblad on Thursday that he was not willing to risk the safety of his riders.
"They guarantee our safety, they say. But what does that mean? Even if there’s only a small chance that something will happen, that’s still too much," Foré said.
"I’m willing to believe that there’s nothing going on in the interior of Rwanda and that everything is calm and safe. But we would have at least liked them to stay away from the region in question. And that’s not the intention at the moment. That’s a cause for concern."
The UCI has moved quickly to play down any concerns about the September World Championships, recently issuing a press statement and shutting down the rumours that it could be searching for an alternative location, possibly even at the UCI Headquarters in Aigle, Switzerland.
"The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), in close collaboration with the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the 2025 UCI Road World Championships, is closely monitoring developments in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and their potential impact on the organisation of the UCI Road World Championships scheduled for next September in Kigali, Rwanda," read the statement issued on January 31.
"The ongoing conflict is confined to the DRC, and Rwanda remains entirely safe for tourism and business.
"We hope for a swift and peaceful resolution of the situation. The UCI wishes to emphasise that sport, and cycling in particular, are powerful ambassadors for peace, friendship, and solidarity.
"Moreover, following the spread of rumours on this subject, the UCI clarifies that no relocation of the 2025 UCI Road World Championships from Rwanda to Switzerland or any other location is planned at this time."
