Will Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Puck Pieterse compete for Olympic titles in cyclocross over the next five years? The UCI is doing everything to add cyclocross to the Olympic program, but the international winter sports federations are strongly opposed. With some very prominent 'lobbyists,' the cycling union hopes to convince the IOC.
The UCI and the athletics federation World Athletics have been lobbying for several years to add both sports to the Olympic Winter program, as both mainly take place in autumn and winter. The International Olympic Committee has repeatedly expressed enthusiasm about adding cyclocross and cross-country running to the Winter Games.
The organization would be willing to adapt the Winter Olympic Games rules to make this possible. Currently, the regulations state that only sports held on snow or ice are accepted. Last month, IOC president Sebastian Coe told The Guardian that ‘there is a good chance’ cyclocross and cross-country running will be part of the 2030 Winter Games.
Declaration
The international winter sports federations do not want cyclocross and cross-country running to be added to the 2030 Olympic Games. This is stated in a joint declaration by the winter sports federations, including the International Skating Union (ISU).
According to the winter sports federations, ‘the brand, heritage, and identity of the Winter Games will be diluted if summer sports are added to the Olympic program.’
"Everyone is super enthusiastic"
Former cyclocross rider Peter Van Den Abeele is the driving force behind the movement to get cyclocross on the Olympic agenda as UCI Director of Sport. The Belgian has spoken in recent months with a number of prominent figures from cycling, including Mathieu van der Poel, Puck Pieterse, and... Tadej Pogacar. “Everyone is super enthusiastic,” Van Den Abeele told the NOS.
“Cyclocross sometimes gets dismissed, but it’s an excellent training ground for other disciplines. Tadej agrees. We asked these riders to make a video that we sent to the organizing committee of the 2030 Winter Games and also to the IOC.”
Van Den Abeele is not, however, deaf to the criticism from the cycling federations. “I understand their position. Cyclocross is a sport that is not always contested on snow or ice, but it can be. And we always fall within the typical winter period, that’s a fact. We are, after all, a typical winter sport, not a summer sport. That is the basis of our argument.”
