Innovation in cyclocross country is always challenging, and the World Cup is no coincidence as the best example. The new format introduced by organizer UCI and host Flanders Classics—with a focus on the Christmas period—was not exactly well received by most cross teams a year ago, but have opinions matured since then? If we are to believe the tone of the riders, perhaps yes.
Lucinda Brand, a rider who seems to show up everywhere anyway, gave a hint in her interview after the Flandriencross in Hamme. "Just like last year, I don't race all the World Cups, but quite a few," said the Dutchwoman, who emphasized that a whole wave of new riders will enter to seize their chance in those races. "That’s also the exciting part," said the former world champion.
Her team manager Sven Nys was one of the biggest critics of the points classification a year ago. The main point for improvement, in his fairly harsh feedback? “The sequence of races that are way too close together makes this classification an impossible task. In my opinion, with the current concept, there’s no room to complete the full classification. If they had started a bit earlier, it would have been possible. That’s a very unfortunate thing," he said back then.
Starting only in mid-November is far too late, according to Nys. In addition, he condemned the round in Besançon, southern France, mid-Christmas season. Nys feared that no one would want to make that long trip, and he was partly right. The UCI and Flanders Classics took that feedback onboard and replaced Besançon with Flamanville in the World Cup, and scheduled it much earlier in the winter.
Moderate Nys
A few days before the start of the 2025-2026 World Cup in Tábor, we asked Nys again for his opinion as team manager of the Baloise Glowi Lions, and it appears he is still no big fan. "For me, it remains far too compact. The World Cup, like the other two points classifications, should be spread much more across the season so that pure racers and their teams aren’t at a disadvantage," remains the key takeaway from the two-time world champion.
Michael Vanthourenhout is going for the overall win again – photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
That Flanders Classics schedules five World Cups and three Superprestiges within a 16-day span in December is hard for Nys to accept. On the other hand, we notice his tone is more moderate. "Many organizers will be disappointed in that period," Nys fears. "From time to time, riders need to recharge their energy a bit, and then those 12 rounds in quick succession are too much. But it is what it is. We already reacted in a certain way a year ago, and little has changed since."
That doesn’t mean the world champion doesn’t respect all the World Cup races. "For us, the classification is not a goal in itself, but specific races can certainly be that. For example, the race in Tábor suits Thibau (Nys, ed.) very well."
The Belgian champion and key rider in Nys’s team has indeed not set up an anti-World Cup program. Nys is contesting eight of the ten rounds: only Koksijde (which doesn’t suit him) and Cabras (when he's in training camp) have been skipped.
Mettepenningen remains a fan
Jurgen Mettepenningen, team manager of Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw, is, like in previous years, a strong supporter of the classification. With Michael Vanthourenhout and Eli Iserbyt, he also won the last two editions. He sees the opposite effect of what Nys describes. "Precisely because the classification starts so late, more riders will do everything. It’s different if you schedule those World Cup rounds at the start of the season."
Mettepenningen doesn’t want to criticize the organizers’ strategy but also sees advantages in the new approach by UCI and Flanders Classics. "A compact World Cup adds some extra prestige. And, you also have to understand the organizers. Organizing a race in October is much tougher financially. Our intention is to race everything again and, thanks to our consistency, to win the classification once more."
| # | Date | Race |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23-11-202523-11 | |
| 2 | 30-11-202530-11 | |
| 3 | 07-12-202507-12 | |
| 4 | 14-12-202514-12 | |
| 5 | 20-12-202520-12 | |
| 6 | 21-12-202521-12 | |
| 7 | 26-12-202526-12 | |
| 8 | 28-12-202528-12 | |
| 9 | 04-01-202604-01 | |
| 10 | 18-01-202618-01 | |
| 11 | 24-01-202624-01 | |
| 12 | 25-01-202625-01 |
