Inside Cyclocross #25
Dive into the latest cyclocross news in Edition 25 of inside cyclocross! We have reporting from the Benidorm World Cup, and turn our attention to selections for the World Championships!
In Edition #25 of Inside Cyclocross, we present on the ground reporting from Benidorm, which is rumored to host the 2029 Cyclocross World Championships. We also have news on the Dutch and Belgian Worlds selections, as well as another edition of where are they now.
This week, the first three articles are free for all Inside Cyclocross subscribers. We are running a 15% discount until the World Championships, which will give you access to all Inside Cyclocross Content!
Is Benidorm Ready To Host The World Championships In 2029?
Much of the talk in Benidorm this weekend was about the rumor, which originated in Spanish paper AS Sport, that Benidorm is in the running to host the 2029 World Championships. Is the Costa Blanca ready to host the fight for the rainbow jersey?
By Noah van Putten
Benidorm World Cup - CXBenidorm
Last week, Spanish sports newspaper AS Sport reported that Benidorm submitted a bid to host the 2029 Cyclocross World Championships. They submitted a bid following a request by the UCI to take on the organization. While in Benidorm everyone was still cautious, it would be a shock to see the event go elsewhere. An extra-large UCI delegation was observing the event this weekend.
Following this news, riders and fans critiqued the venue for being too fast, not enough like real cyclocross, and lacking features where riders could make the difference. While the venue is not perfect—I will go over that in a bit—I don’t agree that a fast course can’t host the World Championships. The course, apart from the width, is quite similar to Fayetteville, which hosted the World Championships in 2022. Both have a long climb but are relatively easy apart from that.
Fayetteville isn’t an outlier in history. Treviso (2008), Middelfart (1997), and Oss (1984) all hosted World Championships on fast courses. The title fights in Dubendorf (2020), Bogense (2019), and Hooglede-Gits (2007) all took place on courses that weren’t exactly selective either.
The course in Benidorm is fast - CXBenidorm
As Van Aert pointed out after the race, it’s overdue for the World Championships to move to a different region. Between 2025 and 2030, Belgium will host the World Championships twice. The Netherlands will also host two Championships, all within 5 kilometers from the Belgian border. This year, the World Championships take place in the north of France, some 60 kilometers from the Belgian border.
Spain has cyclocross history, having hosted the World Championships seven times before, although the last time was in 1990. Benidorm has consistently attracted large crowds due to a number of factors.
First of all, the World Cup in Benidorm is a real grassroots event. The day before the World Cup, there are an array of youth and master races. These races draw Spanish cyclists from all over the country for a weekend of cyclocross.
Crowds cheer on Cat Ferguson - CXBenidorm
While a large majority of fans (70%) are Spanish, the diaspora marketing of the event also contributes to the crowd size. The region around Benidorm is home to a lot of Dutch, Belgian, and British people, who seek comfort in the warm winter weather. These temporary residents show up to the World Cup in decent numbers.
That doesn’t mean that Benidorm is ready to host the World Championships as of now. While the organizers have made significant improvements over the years—there are far fewer punctures now, for instance—there are three key points that need to be improved.
First of all, team parking opportunities are too limited. With the current number of participants, it’s already a squeeze to fit everyone into the parking area. With more riders and vehicles at the World Championships, more space will need to be found. This should, however, be relatively easy. Turning the two closest spectator parking areas into team parking, and using the other sporting facilities at the venue, will provide enough parking space.
Secondly, the crowd management needs to be improved. The first edition of the World Cup led to overcrowding, which prompted changes for the following editions. The current setup was perfect for the 16,000 spectators that attended, but more room needs to be created as the World Championships might be attended by over 40,000 fans.
Nys in Benidorm - CXBenidorm
Apart from creating more space, the distribution of those fans needs work. The venue currently has just one entrance, right at the bottom. The only way up to the rest of the course is a single staircase, which gets blocked by fans watching the race. Few fans make their way up to the fanzone in the forest. Creating more entrances will distribute the crowd better.
Finally, the course needs to undergo changes as well. Currently, it’s not wide enough, and there are too many single-file sections. This makes overtaking extremely hard, which means one mistake, even by someone else, can ruin a race. When the stakes are as high as at the World Championships, this isn’t fair. The course should be reworked and straightened out to accommodate a bigger event. In this process, pit loop length should also be tackled.
In conclusion, the organizers in Benidorm have work to do before their event is ready to host the biggest cyclocross race of the year. This is, however, not a reason to avoid awarding the event to the region. The World Championships in Hulst are undergoing more rigorous changes, including pontoon bridges and grandstands, to make the event feasible.
Benidorm Youth World Cups
The fifth and penultimate round of the Youth World Cups took place in Benidorm. Despite the fast course, most races weren’t as highly contested as the elite events. Still, they served as valuable indicators for the upcoming World Championships.
By Noah van Putten
Del Grosso wins in Benidrom - CXBenidorm
Tibor Del Grosso waited long to make his move in the Men’s U23 race. In the first half of the race, he was happy to let other Dutch riders make moves. He didn’t react when Guus van den Eijnden or Senna Remijn attacked, forcing Jente Michels to do a lot of work.
With three laps to go, Del Grosso placed his first attack up the big climb, but it was merely a test of the legs. He dropped the pace again and waited for the final lap to make his decisive move. This time, nobody could follow him up the climb. He took the win, three seconds ahead of Michels.
Third place went to Aubin Sparfel. The French rider made a strong impression in the race. He was powerful on the climbs and raced smart. Unlike in other races, he didn’t waste much energy by placing useless attacks early in the race. Instead, he sat in the wheels, following other riders.
The ride of the day in this race came from Stefano Viezzi. Due to an unfavorable starting position, he was forced to chase for most of the race. After moving through the field, he was about eight seconds behind the leading group. For laps, he was in that position. The leaders didn’t ride away from him, but he also didn’t get closer. In the final two laps, when fatigue set in, Viezzi finally moved deep into the top ten. With a flyer of a final lap, the fifth fastest of the day across all races, he finished in fifth.
Del Grosso in the Red Bull Fan Zone - CXBenidorm
In the Women’s Junior race, first-year Lise Revol took her second World Cup win in a row. The French rider did so in remarkable fashion, leading from start to finish. Within the first two minutes of the race, she opened a five-second gap, which she never gave away.
In the chase, Canadian World Cup leader Rafaelle Carrier took most of the initiative. Every lap, she was stronger up the long climb, taking back between five and eight seconds. She, however, lacked finesse on the rest of the course, leading to Revol expanding her gap. Carrier only came closer in the final lap of the race, but it was too late. If Revol takes the win in Hoogerheide, she will also win the World Cup. In all other scenarios, Carrier will win.
Lise Revol took the win, wearing a national champs jersey from her private team - CXBenidorm
Third place in this race went to Mae Cabaca. The Dutch rider came off a disappointing National Championship. On the muddy course in Oisterwijk, she made a number of questionable decisions. She didn’t shoulder her bike on the numerous running sections and also remounted too early most of the time.
In Benidorm, Cabaca made a strong impression. She wasn’t shy of taking initiative in the chase, often leading through the more technical sections. Her positioning eventually helped her, because in the final lap there was a crash right behind her. Giorgia Pellizotti and Jeanne Duterne crashed, holding up Lidia Cusak. Cabaca held on to finish third.
But first, let me take a selfie - CXBenidorm
In the Men’s Junior race, Mattia Agostinacchio was by far the strongest rider. The European champion took the lead in lap 1 with an impressive move. On the grass climb towards the bridge, he passed six riders to take the first position.
In the laps that followed, Agostinacchio slowly cranked up the pace. The lead group slowly but surely got smaller until the Italian got away with three laps to go. Despite big efforts behind, he managed to stay away and take the win.
No white pants for Agostinacchio this time - CXBenidorm
Soren Bruyère Joumard had led most of the chase and looked to pay for that in the final lap. He got overtaken by four riders but managed to regroup himself and claim second. He finished just ahead of Valentin Hofer, who brought home third for Austria.
Three juniors are still in contention for the overall win in Hoogerheide. Agostinacchio and Joumard are tied on points. Whoever of the two finishes higher will win the overall unless Giel Lejeune wins and both miss out on the podium. In that case, the Belgian first-year would win the overall.
De Clercq Names Belgian Worlds Squad and Sets Medal Targets
Belgium is getting ready for the Cyclocross World Championships in Liévin, France, taking place from January 31 to February 2. National Team Coach Angelo De Clercq has announced his selections across all categories, leaving one spot in the men’s elite team undecided until after the World Cup race in Hoogerheide on January 26th. With high hopes for podium finishes but tempered by the dominance of key rivals, De Clercq has outlined a strategy centered on teamwork and resilience.
By Noah van Putten
National Team Coach Angelo De Clercq has named a strong contingent for the upcoming championships. In the junior women’s category, Sanne Laurijssen, Lisa Maes, and Zita Peeters will represent Belgium. The junior men’s lineup includes Lennes Jacobs, Ryan Laenen, Giel Lejeune, Arthur Van Den Boer, and Mats Vanden Eynde.
Michels and Verstrynge sprinting in Tabor - BeyondHorizonMedia
For the under-23 women, Xaydee Van Sinaey and Sterre Vervloet will compete, while the under-23 men’s team features Yordi Corsus, Sil De Brauwere, Kay De Bruyckere, Aaron Dockx, Jente Michels, Viktor Vandenberghe, and Seppe Van Den Boer.
In the elite women’s category, Belgium will field Sanne Cant, Marion Norbert Riberolle, and Julie Brouwers.
The men’s elite team is headlined by Thibau Nys, fresh off his Belgian title and a impressive victory in Benidorm. He will be joined by Eli Iserbyt, Toon Aerts, Laurens Sweeck, Niels Vandeputte, Michael Vanthourenhout, Emiel Verstrynge, and Joran Wyseure. The ninth and final spot remains undecided, with Jens Adams, Toon Vandebosch, and Witse Meeussen vying for selection. De Clercq emphasized the importance of the upcoming races at Maasmechelen and Hoogerheide in determining the final choice. He said these courses are more representative than Zolder and Benidorm, and will therefore be a better indicator of who to select. Jens Adams is currently favored to take the final spot on the roster.
Belgium’s ambitions for the championships are high as ever, but De Clercq acknowledged that the nation lacks outright favorites in most categories. He however remains confident in the depth and quality of his team, setting a target of four medals.
Michael Vanthourenhout in Tabor - BeyondHorizonMedia
De Clercq named Arthur Van Den Boer as contender for the title in the Junior Men’s race. With Giel Lejeune they have a second strong junior, though neither are the top favorite. Despite that, this category probably presents the best opportunity for Belgium to win a title.
The under-23 men’s race features Tibor Del Grosso of the Netherlands as the man to beat, but De Clercq is confident Jente Michels isn’t without a chance. Among the elite men, Mathieu van der Poel is the undisputed favorite, but Belgium plans to counter his dominance with a cohesive strategy involving all nine riders, the so called Belgian Block.
De Clercq singled out Michael Vanthourenhout as a key figure for the Liévin course, which he expects to favor riders with stamina and strength rather than technical finesse. He also praised the recent performances of Thibau Nys, calling his form “impressive” and his uphill accelerations a potential game-changer. However, De Clercq stressed that there is no fixed hierarchy within the team and that tactics will evolve based on race dynamics.
Belgium finished third in the relay last year - BeyondHorizonMedia
The expectations for the women’s categories are more modest. In the junior and under-23 categories, top-10 finishes would be great results. In the elite women’s race, Sanne Cant will look to draw on her experience to compete for a strong result. The mixed relay team will be announced later.
As said, De Clercq has set a target of four individual medals for the Belgian team, a goal he described as both ambitious and attainable. De Clercq concluded that another World Championship without Belgian World Title wouldn’t be surprising. It would be for the first time since 2010 & 2011 that Belgium misses out on a rainbow jersey two years in a row.
