"I think the ideal number would be between ten and twelve races" - Peter Van den Abeele discusses possible changes in the World Cup schedule
Cyclocross
The format of the cyclocross World Cup has been a hot topic since the start of this season. First voices have already spoken ill about the expensive trip overseas for the Waterloo World Cup, but the unsustainability of the now fourteen races strong regularity competition, which essentially serves as qualifiers for the World Championships later in the season, became clear after some carefree statements from the UCI president David Lappartient.
Talking to WielerFlits, UCI's Peter Van den Abeele talks about the possibility of reduction of the World Cup calendar. "The rights lie in the hands of Flanders Classics. They have invested an amount related to those fourteen rounds. If it were decided to do fewer races, you would first have to talk to them about the financial picture. And we are currently working on that."
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"Everyone has a certain opinion, but at the end of the day it is up to us to filter together with Flanders Classics. Normally the new calendar is always announced at the World Championships. That will not be the case in Tábor now. We will mainly have to debate there about the number of races," he cotinues.
"Well, what is the ideal number? I don't know, between ten and twelve, I think. But when there were barely six rounds a few seasons ago - three of which were in Belgium and two in the Netherlands - there was also criticism. We did everything we could to revive the ranking and make it the most prestigious ranking again. But suddenly there were too many heats, which many thought was not good."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- He lives in Monaco
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - It's also highly significant for Lorenzo Finn as he won there last year. Also Mateo Ramírez and Henrique Bravo if they go
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - This is a phenomenal course design. I do wish that they'd stretch these tours for the women to at least 2 weeks.RidesHills03-11-2026
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- He was a child two years ago
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - A great route aswell. Col d'Arpy is a toughie
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - Let Torito have a shot at it
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - A great route, much more exciting than the Tour de France. Monte Livata is an interesting one, because they experimented with it at the 2026 Baby Giro, and it was fantastic. 4 km at 10%, then 10 km at 6.5% made for a great spectacle. The stage 16 is horrible. Montaner is also used in the U23s, in Giro del Belvedere
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - I remember when Mark went through that. He was really experiencing lows and thought about quiting many times. It took him a long time to recover. I, like many others were overjoyed when he came back. I hope Lafay has been tested. I wish him the best.Paggss03-11-2026
- That sucks for him. I've always wondered what guys like him do after retiring from cycling - go back to uni? He's still a very young manCrashjames03-11-2026
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