Date | January 30-February 1, 2026 |
Location | Hulst, the Netherlands |
Category | Major Championships |
Previous winners | Mathieu van der Poel, Fem van Empel |
2026 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships Information
The UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships heads to the Netherlands in 2026 with the battle on reigning men's champion Mathieu van der Poel's home turf in Hulst.
The seven-time elite champion will be without rival Wout van Aert (Belgium) in the event as the Visma-Lease a Bike rider suffered a fracture after a crash in the Zilvermeercross in Mol on January 2 and had to have surgery.
The top competitors to Van der Poel include Thibau Nys, who was third in 2025, Michael Vanthourenhout, Toon Aerts, Emiel Verstrynge (Crelan-Corendon) and Laurens Sweeck.
Elite women's winner in 2025 Fem Van Empel is taking a lighter approach to cyclo-cross this year, so it is uncertain whether she will target Worlds. Instead, her compatriot Lucinda Brand (Baloise Lions) has been the most dominant rider of the season.
The top five riders in the UCI rankings all hail from the Netherlands, with Inge van der Heijden and Aniek van Alphen having great seasons. Puck Pieterse, racing a reduced schedule, is the most likely rider to challenge Brand, while French rider Amandine Fouquenet is another strong rival.
2026 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships Route
2026 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships Schedule
Date | Event | Time |
|---|---|---|
January 30 | Team relay | 13:30-14:30 CET |
January 31 | Junior women | 11:00 CET |
January 31 | U23 men | 13:00 CET |
January 31 | Elite women | 15:00 CET |
February 1 | Junior men | 11:00 CET |
February 1 | U23 women | 13:00 CET |
February 1 | Elite men | 15:00 CET |
Latest Content on the Race
'It's harder than I thought' says Mathieu van der Poel after Worlds course recon
News Rival national team coach for Belgium predicts Van der Poel could drive out gap of four minutes
'I'm the best of the rest' - Brand settles for silver behind Van Empel in Tabor
News 'Fem van Empel is simply head and shoulders above the rest at the moment' says former world champion, who earned seventh career medal in elite World Championships
Illness rules Blanka Vas out of Cyclocross Worlds just after finding best form
News Hungarian forced to pull out of World Championships in Tábor due to viral infection
'Tabor is a total wattage track' - Jeremy Powers previews Tabor CX Worlds course and tech
Interview We talk tyres, pressures, and how the pros deal with mechanicals with a 4 time national champion
Van der Poel's 'full circle' and Dutch dominance at Tábor CX Worlds - preview
Preview Defending champion returns to site of his first world title as Van Empel eyes back-to-back rainbow jerseys
'The goal has always been the Worlds' – Cameron Mason hopes for a medal to complete breakthrough cyclocross season
Interview 23-year-old Scot tells Cyclingnews about his intense winter and road and gravel plans for the summer
'I'm too busy to realise it's the end' – Zdenek Stybar brings it home at Tábor Worlds
Interview Czech rider back where it all started for his final race at the top level
'It's not impossible against Mathieu, but it almost is' – Nys evaluates Cyclocross Worlds chances
News Reigning U23 world champion sets sights on elite podium, plans transition to road with eyes on Tour de Romandie
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Strohmeyer, Gunsalus head up 23-rider USA Cycling team for UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships
Only three elite riders but 20 up-and-coming racers for Hulst -
Thibau Nys heads Belgian team for UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in absence of Wout van Aert
With Iserbyt retired, Verstrynge ending his season and Van Aert and Sweeck injured Belgium relies on new national champion -
'I feel like I'm coming back to life' - Thibau Nys gears up for intense winter of cyclocross with 22 races
Belgian star back on track for November 1 start after scrapping Canadian classics from road program
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Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel plot alternate routes to the cobbled Classics after CX Worlds
Dutchman to kick off road season much later than rival at Paris-Nice or Tirreno-Adriatico -
'It's a cyclocross race with a bit of road in the middle' - Zoe Bäckstedt to go all-in at Paris-Roubaix
British rider captures two rainbow jerseys at UCI Cyclo-cross Worlds in Liévin -
'A dream' - Thibau Nys bounces back from illness with third place at Cyclo-cross Worlds behind Van der Poel and Van Aert
'I had quite a difficult two weeks, but I knew that if I could have my level then a podium was possible' says Belgian after first elite podium
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Wout van Aert reunited with lost Garmin after Cyclo-cross World Championships
'It was definitely my best cyclocross race of the winter' says former world champion pleased with silver-medal performance -
'Hungry for more' - Puck Pieterse ends cyclocross season with Worlds bronze, turns attention to Spring Classics
'Fem always wins this title ... three times in a row. Every time, at the right time, she is super good' Pieterse praises compatriot's success in Liévin -
'Mixed feelings' for Lucinda Brand at Cyclo-cross Worlds after missing out on rainbow jersey in last lap
Brand says squeeze to the fences by Van Empel 'wasn't necessary' but admits that 'the difference was made already'
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Tubulars rule in cyclo-cross, but are tubeless tyres going to make them extinct in the next few years? Here's what two pro mechanics think
Two professional mechanics share the ins and outs of tubular and tubeless tyres ahead of the Cyclo-cross World Championships -
Like father, like son? We compare Thibau Nys' cyclocross bike to his dad's from ten years ago ahead of the cyclocross World Championships
Cyclocross bikes haven't actually changed all that much -
'Tabor is a total wattage track' - Jeremy Powers previews Tabor CX Worlds course and tech
We talk tyres, pressures, and how the pros deal with mechanicals with a 4 time national champion -
'The goal has always been the Worlds' – Cameron Mason hopes for a medal to complete breakthrough cyclocross season
23-year-old Scot tells Cyclingnews about his intense winter and road and gravel plans for the summer -
'I'm too busy to realise it's the end' – Zdenek Stybar brings it home at Tábor Worlds
Czech rider back where it all started for his final race at the top level
