Great Britain captures calendar spot for 2026-27 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup with Glasgow confirmed as host

Great Britain was revealed as the "to be determined" stop on the 2026-27 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup calendar, slotting into Sunday, 13 December to complete the schedule of 12 races.

The opening rounds of competition take place across two days in Czechia, Ostrava hosting the first race on Friday, 27 November and moving west to Tabor on Sunday, 29 November. The third round of the World Cup series was listed as "TBD" when the schedule was announced last month, but was confirmed today to be held in mid-December at Kelvingrove Park in Glasgow, Scotland.

“This is an incredibly exciting moment for cycling in Great Britain as a UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup round returns for the first time in over a decade," said Jonathan Day, director of events at British Cycling.

"Cyclo-cross has such a rich history in the country, with incredible riders who excel on the international stage, and a strong, vibrant and passionate community racing in League and Lloyds National Series and Championship events up and down the country each winter. To bring a prestigious UCI World Cup round to our portfolio of events is brilliant for fans of this amazing sport and for major sporting events in the country.”

The only other time that World Cup races have been held in Great Britain was a dozen seasons ago, and also in Scotland, held in Milton Keynes. That race in November 2014 also marked the first time the discipline's top series had been held outside mainland Europe, where most racing takes place in Belgium and nearby countries.

British Cycling began forming partnerships and event planning in 2023 to land a return of the premier cyclo-cross series, which is managed by the UCI and Flanders Classics. The group backing the event include British Cycling Ventures, EventScotland and the charitable organisation Glasgow Life.

"We have been working on bringing a UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup event to Great Britain for several years and are delighted to be able to announce Glasgow for next winter. Introducing a new venue is always special, especially in a major city like Glasgow, and we are looking forward to a great collaboration with British Cycling," CEO of Flanders Classics Tomas Van Den Spiegel said in a press release.

Glasgow and Kelvingrove Park have hosted global cycling events before, most notably the finishing circuit for the road races at the UCI Cycling World Championships in 2023. The park also hosted BMX Freestyle and BMX Trials competitions at the championships.

Ostrava is another new venue for the World Cup swing. The eastern city in Czechia held the Cyclo-cross National Championships last year, and organisers plan to hold the World Cup races under the lights on a Friday night. Tabor is a regular venue on the circuit, having held World Cup cyclo-cross races 17 times, including last year.

The balance of the World Cup calendar will be held at familiar venues: six rounds in Belgium and one each in France, the Netherlands and Spain. The final two rounds will be on the same weekend: January 23 in Hamme, Belgium, and January 24 in Hoogerheide, Netherlands. The World Championships are scheduled for January 29-31 in Ostende, Belgium.

Last season, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) won the elite men's World Cup title with eight wins in eight starts. Lucinda Brand (Baloise Verzekeringen-Het Poetsbureau Lions) also won eight rounds for the elite women's title.

Cyclo-cross World Cup 2026-2027 calendar

• Round 1 – Friday, 27 November 2026 – Ostrava, Czechia
• Round 2 – Sunday, 29 November 2026 – Tabor, Czechia
• Round 3 – Sunday, 13 December 2026 – Glasgow (Scotland), Great Britain
• Round 4 – Saturday, 19 December 2026 – Antwerpen, Belgium
• Round 5 – Sunday, 20 December 2026 – Koksijde, Belgium
• Round 6 – Saturday, 26 December 2026 – Gavere, Belgium
• Round 7 – Sunday, 27 December 2026 – Namur, Belgium
• Round 8 – Tuesday, 29 December 2026 – Besançon, France
• Round 9 – Sunday, 3 January 2027 – Zonhoven, Belgium
• Round 10 – Sunday, 17 January 2027 – Benidorm, Spain
• Round 11 – Saturday, 23 January 2027 – Hamme, Belgium
• Round 12 – Sunda,y 24 January 2027 – Hoogerheide, Netherlands