Gravel World Championships: Congolese cyclist Joël Kyaviro withdraws from Nannup due to lack of national support

Joël Kyaviro will not be going to Australia. As the first cyclist from the Democratic Republic of Congo to qualify for a gravel world championship, the rider from Goma, in North Kivu, announced his withdrawal on Friday, October 9, 2026, on Facebook, on the eve of the event held on October 10 and 11 in Nannup, Western Australia, reports Radio Okapi.

In his message, he expressed "immense disappointment" and "the impossibility of participating, due to a lack of the necessary institutional support."

A qualification earned in Namibia

Kyaviro had earned his spot in the world championship on the road. On August 22, 2026, at the African Gravel Championships in Windhoek, Namibia, he finished 10th out of 140 participants, covering the 143-kilometer course in 4 hours and 30 minutes, according to Radio Okapi. In June 2026, he had also won a stage of the Tour International du Cameroun. He was set to be the first to wear the Congolese colors at a gravel world championship.

Visa obtained, but the trip never funded

The plan was in place, however. On October 4, 2026, the rider explained to Okapi Sport magazine that he had his Australian visa, but that his team, which had been funding his travel until then, could not cover this trip: plane tickets, accommodation, food, and local transport still needed to be paid for, and he wanted to travel with his coaches and a mechanic. "If nothing is done, unfortunately I will not be able to participate," he warned at the time, adding: "I am now waiting for the next steps from the federation and the ministry." No amount was made public, and no authority responded publicly, according to Radio Okapi.

The rider, who had spent several weeks preparing between Namibia, Kenya, and Tanzania, said he was in good physical condition. In his withdrawal message, he concluded by questioning whether "the place I come from changes anything."

The continent produces the qualifications; it still struggles to pay for the plane tickets that go with them. As for Kyaviro, he is now turning his attention to the African Road Cycling Championships in Kenya to close out his 2026 season.