2026 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships
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Hulst, Netherlands | |
  Hulst | |
| Venue | Hulst, Netherlands |
|---|---|
| Date | 30 January – 1 February 2026 |
| Coordinates | 51°17′N 4°03′E / 51.28°N 4.05°E |
| Events | 7 |
The 2026 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships was the 77th edition of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, the annual world championship for the cycling discipline of cyclo-cross. It was held from 30 January to 1 February in Hulst, Netherlands. The championships were organized by the Union Cycliste Internationale and sponsored by Rabobank.[1]
Hulst was officially confirmed as the host city in September 2021. The city had previously hosted UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup races, but never a world championship.[2]
The course was 3.24 kilometres (2.01 mi) long, with 40 metres (130 ft) of elevation gain, including 7 bridges and a section of 22 stairs.[3]
Competition schedule
All times are local, CET (UTC+1).[3]
| Date | Time | Race Category |
|---|---|---|
| 30 January 2026 | 13:35 | Mixed team relay |
| 31 January 2026 | 11:05 | Women's junior race |
| 13:10 | Men's under-23 race | |
| 15:10 | Women's elite race | |
| 1 February 2026 | 11:05 | Men's junior race |
| 13:10 | Women's under-23 race | |
| 15:10 | Men's elite race |
Pre-race favorites
Mathieu van der Poel, the reigning seven-time champion, was widely seen as the favorite for the men's elite race. Expected challengers included Thibau Nys, Michael Vanthourenhout, Toon Aerts, Emiel Verstrynge, and Laurens Sweeck.[4][5] Favorites for the women's elite race included Lucinda Brand, Inge van der Heijden, Aniek van Alphen, Puck Pieterse, and Amandine Fouquenet.[4]
Medal summary
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's events | ||||||
| Women's elite race | Lucinda Brand (NED) | 49' 16" | Ceylin Alvarado (NED) | +27" | Puck Pieterse (NED) | +51" |
| Women's under-23 race | Leonie Bentveld (NED) | 43' 08" |  Viktória Chladoňová (SVK) | +11" |  Célia Gery (FRA) | +57" |
| Women's junior race |  Barbora Bukovská (CZE) | 44' 55" | Lise Revol (FRA) | +15" | Lucie Grohová (CZE) | +35" |
| Men's events | ||||||
| Men's elite race | Mathieu van der Poel (NED) | 1h 00' 25" | Tibor Del Grosso (NED) | +35" |  Thibau Nys (BEL) | +46" |
| Men's under-23 race | Aaron Dockx (BEL) | 53' 11" | Aubin Sparfel (FRA) | +19" | Keije Solen (NED) | +22" |
| Men's junior race | Delano Heeren (NED) | 40' 15" |  Filippo Grigolini (ITA) | +9" | Giel Lejeune (BEL) | +10" |
| Mixed events | ||||||
| Mixed team relay | Netherlands Guus van den Eijnden Delano Heeren Isis Versluis Leonie Bentveld Shirin van Anrooij Tibor Del Grosso |
47' 06" | Italy Filippo Grigolini Stefano Viezzi Sara Casasola Elisa Ferri Giorgia Pellizotti Filippo Fontana |
+16" | Belgium Fleur Moors Kay De Bruyckere Julie Brouwers Jari Van Lee Zita Peeters Niels Vandeputte |
+37" |
Results
Women
Elite
The Elite Women's race took place on Saturday January 31, 2026 in 6 laps over a total distance of 19.60 km. 31 riders from 16 nations took part in the race.[6]
Under-23
The Under-23 Women's race took place on Sunday February 1, 2026 in 5 laps over a total distance of 16.35 km. 32 riders from 15 nations took part in the race.[7]
Junior
The Junior Women's race took place on Saturday January 31, 2026 in 5 laps over a total distance of 16.35 km. 47 riders from 19 nations took part in the race.[8]
Men
Elite
The Elite Men's race took place on Sunday February 1, 2026 in 8 laps over a total distance of 26.10 km. 39 riders from 17 nations took part in the race.[9]
Under-23
The Under-23 Men's race took place on Saturday January 31, 2026 in 7 laps over a total distance of 22.85 km. 47 riders from 17 nations took part in the race.[10]
Junior
The Junior Men's race took place on Sunday February 1, 2026 in 5 laps over a total distance of 16.35 km. 61 riders from 20 nations took part in the race.[11]
Mixed Event
Team Relay
This will be the 5th edition of the Mixed Team Relay event at the world championships. Each relay team consisted of 6 riders which could be made up of:
- 1 Elite Men or 1 Under-23 Men rider,
- 1 Under-23 Men or 1 Junior Men rider,
- 1 Junior Men rider,
- 1 Elite Women or 1 Under-23 Women rider,
- 1 Under-23 Women or 1 Junior Women rider,
- 1 Junior Women rider,
Each rider must also be participating in an individual event at the world championships. Each rider rides on lap, with each nation choosing the starting order of their riders.[3]
Medals table
* Host nation (Netherlands)
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands (NED)* | 5 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
| 2 | Belgium (BEL) | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| 3 | Czech Republic (CZE) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 4 | France (FRA) | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 5 | Italy (ITA) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | Slovakia (SVK) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Totals (6 entries) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | |
