Today and tomorrow, a meeting of the International Cycling Union's Board of Directors will be held in Arras, France, concurrent with the Cyclocross World Championships in Liévin. It is clear that during this meeting, the situation regarding the World Championships in Rwanda will also be addressed, which could be cancelled if guerrilla warfare at the Congo border does not cease. Belgium was among the first to raise the issue, having requested clarifications from Golazo, the partner of the Rwandan Cycling Federation, and now asking the UCI for details about the event's safety. Nathalie Clauwaert, director general of Belgian Cycling, directly requested clarifications from Amina Lanaya, her counterpart at the UCI, to get a clearer picture.

Responses have not yet arrived, but according to sources close to the newspaper La Derniere Heure, it seems that the UCI already has a plan B to compensate for a forced withdrawal from Rwanda. Among the candidates to host the event, should Rwanda be forced to step back, would be Switzerland with Martigny, in the heart of the Valais Alps. This would allow the Swiss city to host the World Championship that it was unable to organize in 2020 due to Covid. In the year of the pandemic, Switzerland's severe restrictions prevented the event's organization, and Italy, with Imola, took charge of the event.

Martigny would be the perfect solution, not only because it was ready to host the world championship in 2020, but also due to its proximity to Aigle, the UCI headquarters. The proposed route in Switzerland, with its 244 kilometers and 4,384 meters of elevation gain, could be a valid alternative to the Kigali route, which is structured over a distance of 267.5 kilometers and an elevation gain of 5,475 meters. While Kigali features a 5.9 km wall with average slopes of 7%, Martigny can offer the Col de la Petite Forclaz as a challenge, a 4 km climb with average slopes of 10%. Naturally, speaking of certainties now is premature, but Switzerland is certainly the safest alternative.

Meanwhile, the Tour of Rwanda will be held from February 23 to March 2, and there will likely be problems regarding the third and fourth stages, with start and finish in Rubavu, located 30 kilometers from Goma, a zone besieged by revolt. For the moment, the organizers have not announced any route modifications, but everything will depend on what happens along the border, where clashes continue without respite.