Sports Page— Idiot's Guide to Watching Cyclocross
I take my midpack racer hat off, and put my fanboy hat on.
In case the cyclocross content hasn’t hit your algorithm, I’d like to remind you that we’re well into ‘cross season. The domestic season has just a few short weekends left, and regrettably, my CX bike is languishing in my basement, still in need of a new headset, a new bottom bracket, a complete drivetrain, and more TLC than I have to give at this point. Racing ‘cross has pretty much slipped through my fingers this year.
The pros in Europe are just getting started, though, and watching ‘cross is one of my favorite ways to spend my mornings from October-ish to February. The professional cyclocross landscape can be a bit confusing for newcomers, so I thought I’d lend my pen for a quick little breakdown of everything you need to know if you want to tune in.
The calendar, demystified
For starters, there are three main race series at the top level of European Cyclocross: Telenet Superprestige, X2O Badkamers Trofee, and the UCI World Cup. These series all happen simultaneously from late fall until late winter, with breaks for national championships in mid-December and the world championship at the end of January. They also coordinate with one another so there aren’t overlapping race days, meaning the same heavy hitters tend to start most races, and you can feasibly watch every race of the season on live TV.
The narrative arc of what is going on in each separate series can be less interesting than what happens in the individual races, but there are a few key differences worth pointing out. Superprestige follows an unweighted omnium-style scoring system, with first place earning 15 points and fifteenth place earning 1 point. With this in mind, the Superprestige series rewards consistency. We are three races into the eight-race series, with November 14th’s Aardbeiencross next up on the calendar.
On the men’s side, Cameron Mason leads the series after a thrilling win in the mud at Niel this week. Aniek van Alphen leads the women’s standings with a win in Middlekerke bookended by a second place in week one and a fourth place in Niel.
X2O interestingly follows a cumulative time GC-style scoring system, with time bonuses awarded for the first lap and the fastest lap of the race. There are also time penalties against riders who skip races or withdraw. Look out for mechanicals, crashes, and blistering attacks from riders seeking to do well in the overall series. The second race of the eight-race series will be this Sunday, November 15th at Flandriencross, meaning this weekend is one of just a few double-headers this season.
As it stands, Thibau Nys leads by 2 seconds over Michael Vanthourenhout in the men’s X2O Badkamers Trofee competition after stomping up the Koppenberg at Oudenaarde. World champion Lucinda Brand sits 53 seconds over Sara Casasola, who together dropped Marie Schreiber early in the first race of the series.
Finally, the World Cup kicks off on November 27th at the brand-new Ostrava course in Czechia before heading to the classic Tábor course two days later. Scoring follows a heavily-weighted omnium system through 25 places. 40 points go to first; 30 go to second; 25 to third, then a slow trickle all the way down to twenty fifth. Mathieu van der Poel, who has not yet announced a ‘cross program this year, and Lucinda Brand won last season. The women’s series is a toss up, and if van der Poel takes the year off, the men’s series could be too.
The players
What is a sport without its personalities? I don’t know these people at all, but I have been watching ‘cross religiously for long enough that they have each left an impression. If you’re looking for a way to jump in, here are some quick little profiles on the top five riders in the men’s and women’s UCI rankings, plus whichever rider(s) I wanted to include for fun.
Niels Vandeputte (BEL)— I like to call him NVDP. He’s Mr. Consistency, with only two wins at C1 races last year, but more top tens than just about anyone else. He won the 2025-2026 Superprestige series last year.
Lucinda Brand (NED)— I like to think of ‘cross as 50% skill, 50% fitness, but Brand gets by on mostly fitness alone. I’ve never seen her out-finesse her competitors. She just beats up on them until they’re dropped. Take one look at the current World Champion’s results, though, and you can’t really hate too much.
Ceylin Alvarado (NED)— A couple years ago I had her in the GOAT convo, but since her dominant 2024 season she’s only pulled off the occasional win. Since then, she’s been claiming top tens consistently, so I hope she can get a big win this year. I also think it would be cooler if she raced as a Dominican national.
Mathieu van der Poel (NED)— No intro required. He’s the reigning (and eight-time) world champion. The GOAT hasn’t announced a schedule yet, but it’s rumoured that he collects huge payments for simply showing up.
Thibau Nys (BEL)— Sorta the nepo baby of cyclocross, and the first little guy on this list. Nys started two races and won both so far this year. Who knows where his ceiling is? He is the reigning champion of both Belgium and Europe, but I’m not sure which is cooler.
Amandine Fouquenet (FRA)— Fouquenet is a relative newcomer to the women’s elite field, but after a trio of Superprestige wins last year, she proved that she belongs. Plus, she is a nice break from Dutch dominance.
Michael Vanthourenhout (BEL)— This dude was one of my favorites until one week ago when he took a major L publicly (opens in a new tab), which was made worse by crashing in Niel while running (opens in a new tab). Despite being a diva, he is a former World Cup winner and has already logged three wins this season. He is one of a handful of drive-side dismounters, if you like a southpaw.
Aniek van Alphen (NED)— I think of van Alphen as NVDP’s women’s field counterpart. She won the Superprestige series last year, and as the current leader, she’s a well-rounded and experienced rider who is always a candidate for the win.
Puck Pieterse (NED)— Pieterse is a fan favorite, and the perfect foil for Brand’s watt-forward approach. She had a bit of a breakout last year with two World Cup wins and a Superprestige, plus a third in the World Championships, so I’m excited to see how she does in her first race this season.
Tibor Del Grosso (NED)— Like Nys, he could be the next big thing in ‘cross. After quietly moving up from the U23 category last year, he claimed the Dutch national championship, two Superprestige wins, and a second at the World Championship. We haven’t seen him yet this year, but expect a debut soon.
Marie Schreiber (LUX)— I’m backing Schreiber all season long. After a controversial relegation to second place in the European Championships (opens in a new tab), I’m crossing my fingers for the Luxembourger to get some well-deserved wins this season.
Cameron Mason (GBR)— He’s the only anglophone rider on this list, and for that reason, Americans love him. He just earned his first C1 win this past weekend and has looked solid in each of his starts, so get ready for some exciting performances.
Are you oriented yet?
It’s been said a thousand times, but cyclocross is truly the best discipline of cycling for spectators, including those streaming the races from their laptop an ocean away. It’s action-packed, strategically straightforward, and most importantly, it’s all we’ve got over the winter.
Absolute must-watch races include:
December 6th— Superprestige Ruddervoorde— a super fast course that lends itself to tactical bunch racing with a large sandpit
December 20th— UCI World Cup Koksijde— the preeminent sand course
December 30th— Superprestige Diegem— an night time race through an urban circuit featuring a large sandpit
January 1st— X2O Badkamers Trofee Baal-GP Sven Nys— a classic course that is always muddy and features motocross-style whoops
January 30th-31st— UCI Cyclocross World Championships— it’s worlds, dude.
If you’re sold on watching ‘cross this year, here’s the secret: for some reason, almost all ‘cross races can be streamed on H-B-something. Still waiting on that check, guys. Typically women start at 8:00AM, with men following at 9:00. Other races can be found by searching “tiz live” on your browser of choice.
Now how can we get ‘cross on DraftKings?