Inside Cyclocross #45
The Belgian Cyclocross Series have all announced their schedules for the upcoming season, while Middelkerke is gearing up to host the European Championships this November.
Belgian Series Announce Schedules For 2025-2026 Cyclocross Season
The three major Belgian cyclocross series - Superprestige, X2O and Exact Cross - have all announced their schedules for the upcoming cyclocross season. While there were no major surprises based on previous reporting, there were still some interesting swaps between series.
By Noah van Putten
Marie Schreiber racing in the 2022 Superprestige - YefriFotos
Last year, organizers of the three major Belgian cyclocross series complained that the postponed release of the UCI World Cup schedule (it was released in April last year) meant they needed to wait too long to announce their own schedules. Interestingly enough, they all released their schedules even later this year while the World Cup schedule was released in January.
Superprestige
Last Friday, the Superprestige was the first of the Belgian races to release its schedule, with no major surprises. The series will commence in Ruddervoorde on October 19th. This marks the 27th time the Superprestige goes to the town in West-Flanders; only Gieten (33 times) and Diegem (40 times) have hosted the series more often.
Just like last year, the mother of all crosses – DruivenCross Overijse – hosts the second round a week after Ruddervoorde. Traditionally, racing heads to Niel on November 11th for a midweek race on Armistice Day, a bank holiday in Belgium.
The Wetzone in Niel smells disgusting - YefriFotos
The biggest surprise on the Superprestige calendar was Merksplas (November 15th). The organizers of the race had announced they were ceasing operations due to an increased financial burden, but the race has been bought by Jef Van Den Bosch. Van Den Bosch is the founder of ISEA Sports Management, which, among others, represents Wout van Aert, Fem van Empel, and Toon Aerts. Local to the region, he acquired the necessary funds for the race with several local entrepreneurs. The race will take place at the same venue, and several of the former organizers will remain involved with promoting the race.
Superprestige schedule 2025-26
The second half of the series gets underway at Christmas. After a one-year absence due to hosting the Belgian Championships, Heusden-Zolder returns to the Superprestige with a race on December 23rd. After Diegem (December 30th) and Gullegem (January 3rd), the series comes to a close in Middelkerke on February 7th, a week after the World Championships.
X2O Trophy
The X2O Trophy has had two mutations to its schedule for the upcoming season. The series will start with a double weekend on November 1st and 2nd, with racing on the Koppenberg and in Lokeren. This very climbing-heavy weekend will likely already decide the classification, assuming it remains time-based. There was some speculation about a change of format, but so far there has been no communication on this topic.
X2O Trophy schedule
After the race in Hamme on November 16th, the X2O Trophy – just like the Superprestige – has three races at Christmas. Herentals has been replaced by Hofstade, which was previously reported. The sand classic will host racing on December 22nd, directly after a double World Cup weekend. Loenhout (December 29th) returns to the X2O Trophy, replacing Koksijde, which is now a World Cup again. The race in Baal traditionally takes place on New Year's Day.
Tom Pidcock leading the pack in Baal, 2021 - YefriFotos
Like the past few years, the X2O Trophy concludes with two races after the World Championships. Lille takes place the week after the rainbow jersey is awarded, with Brussels being the final classified race of the season on February 15th.
Exact Cross Series
The Exact Cross Series fills in between these races, mainly hosting early and late season racing. Meulebeke will host the Belgian season opener on October 4th, with racing heading to Essen two weeks later. The weekend of October 11th remains empty on the Belgian calendar, as races avoid overlap with the Gravel World Championships.
The Dutch race in Heerde returns after a successful debut last year, with the third Exact Cross taking place around the lake on October 25th.
The Brico Cross in Geraardsbergen is where it all started for this series - YefriFotos
Following a two-month break, the Exact Cross returns at Christmas. The Urban Cross in Kortrijk has found a new date, taking the vacant date of Herentals. The race through the city in the South of Belgium will take place on December 13th. Mol, which was part of the Superprestige, returns to the Exact Cross on January 2nd.
After the World Championships, the Exact Cross puts on the show cross in the park of Maldegem (February 4th) and the sand race in Sint-Niklaas (February 14th).
Middelkerke Gears Up to Host Europe's Cyclocross Elite
Belgium is set to host the 2025 European Cyclocross Championships in Middelkerke, drawing elite competitors and tens of thousands of spectators to the coastal town. The event promises not only intense athletic competition but also raises broader questions about the use of military sites for public events during a time of heightened geopolitical tensions. As Europe continues to contend with regional instability and rising defense concerns, particularly in light of the Russian threat, the symbolic and practical implications of staging major sports competitions on active military grounds merit consideration.
By Tom Dussek
This is where the European Championships will be held - YefriFotos
This November, the coastal town of Middelkerke, Belgium, will trade sea breezes for spinning wheels and flying mud as it plays host to the European Cyclocross Championships. Scheduled for the weekend of November 8 and 9, the event marks a return of the European Championships to a country that practically breathes cyclocross, three years after Namur hosted the continental championships.
The 2025 championship will take place on the military domain of Lombardsijde, a stunning and challenging location combining coastal dunes, sandy stretches, and the imposing presence of a military barracks. While the terrain offers an ideal setting for high-caliber racing, its status as an active defense site invites reflection, particularly as European nations reassess the visibility and availability of military infrastructure amid shifting geopolitical dynamics. Similar concerns have already been raised about the long-term viability of Koksijde’s military base as a cyclocross venue under increasing defense pressure.
Van Aert alone in the dunes - YefriFotos
Nonetheless, local and national organizers see the event as both a sporting and civic achievement. Middelkerke mayor Jean-Marie Dedecker (I*N-VA ~ ECR) praised the venue’s unique visual appeal, calling it “one of the most beautiful cyclocross sites in Europe.” He framed the championship as an opportunity to showcase the region to a wide audience while providing a weekend of top-tier competition for fans and families in the province of West-Flanders.
For Middelkerke’s alderman of sport, Marc Descheemaecker (N-VA ~ ECR), the event is a milestone in the town’s ongoing efforts to position itself as a sporting hub. He emphasized that while cyclocross is always a cut throat discipline, the presence of a championship jersey amplifies the intensity. “Riders give everything in every race, but when a title is on the line, the level goes up another notch,” he said, noting that the same course proved exceptionally challenging during the 2022 Belgian Championships, then held without spectators due to pandemic restrictions.
Middelkerke took after Oostende in their course - YefriFotos
The 2025 edition will offer a stark contrast, with tens of thousands of supporters expected to line the course. Event organizer Christophe Impens of Golazo expressed enthusiasm about finally bringing the public into what was originally a closed-door setting. “We knew in 2022 that this was a world-class location,” he said. “Now we have the chance to share that with fans, thanks to the support of both the municipality and the Belgian armed forces.”
At the continental level, the European Cycling Union (UEC) has described the event as one of the highlights of the cyclocross calendar. President Enrico Della Casa underscored Belgium’s central role in the history and continued evolution of the sport. “The European Championships are more than just a competition,” he said. “They embody the passion and heritage that cyclocross represents across the continent. We are pleased to return to a country that lives and breathes this discipline.”
Normally you can’t enter this course without being shot - YefriFotos
Della Casa extended his thanks to all organizing bodies and institutional partners, including the Belgian Cycling Federation and the local authorities in Middelkerke, noting the collaborative effort required to stage a championship of this scale.
Once the cyclocross season begins, anticipation will grow to find out who will succeed Thibau Nys and Fem van Empel as European champions. The course on Lombardsijde is stunning, but it could very well be the last time a cyclocross race is held there. With Koksijde investigating the possibility of moving the start-finish from the military airport, the increased military infrastructure spending will likely put an end to the use of this venue in the current form as well.