"If his team allowed it, Tadej Pogacar would jump straight back into cyclocross" — UCI chief hails rule shift that could tempt stars into the mud
Cyclocross
Cyclocross may be on the brink of its biggest leap in decades — and in the eyes of UCI Director of Sport Peter Van Den Abeele, even cycling’s most dominant Grand Tour rider could soon return to the mud.
With a major UCI rule change coming in 2027 that will allow WorldTour teams to earn points from off-road disciplines, Van Den Abeele believes the incentive structure is shifting — and that the next generation of Pogacars and Van der Poels will be shaped across multiple arenas, not just the road.
And, he suggests, one global superstar wouldn’t need much convincing. “Don’t forget, Tadej Pogacar also raced cross. If his team allowed it, he’d jump straight back in,” he recently commented intriguingly to Het Nieuwsblad.
A simple sentence, but one that hints at a future where the biggest names in road cycling treat winter mud not as a risk — but as a resource.
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Multi-discipline model takes hold
Van Den Abeele points to the success of the Roodhooft brothers’ multi-discipline structure at Alpecin-Deceuninck — behind Mathieu van der Poel’s rise — as evidence of where the sport is heading. “They show that you can easily debut in another discipline and still grow into a top rider on the road.”
And with UCI ranking points soon to be available outside the road scene, gains could be strategic as well as developmental.
“For Team Visma | Lease a Bike, Wout van Aert’s points won’t be important, but for the smaller teams it’s interesting. Team Jayco AlUla has the mountain-bike world champion. EF Education-EasyPost has set up a cyclocross team. These are small steps in the right direction.”
Flanders remains the heart — but expansion gathers pace
Despite the growth of new destinations like Benidorm, Van Den Abeele stressed that Belgium remains cyclocross’ spiritual and economic engine:
“Cross is still very much alive in Flanders, but I’m especially pleased that it’s also gaining popularity outside our region. The Worlds in Lievin were a great success. Benidorm has become a blockbuster, Tabor remains a classic. But we can’t deny it: the races in Flanders are still the strongest.”
However, he believes carefully expanding the calendar is essential: “A complete reset makes no sense… but two major international races more would bring more balance.”
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Olympic inclusion still alive — and potentially transformative
Cyclocross remains in contention for inclusion at the 2030 Winter Olympics, with discussions ongoing. “It is not approved yet, but it has not been swept off the table.”
And if the IOC gives the green light, Van Den Abeele believes national investment and rider pathways would change overnight. “It would be the step towards full recognition of cyclocross. Federations would then be willing to invest. Too much talent still gets lost… Mathieu van der Poel proves the combination works: seven times world cyclocross champion and he still wins his Classics every year.”
For a discipline rooted in Flemish farm tracks, Olympic rings would be the ultimate validation — and could see the sport’s biggest stars embrace winter competition again.
And if Pogacar ever gets the nod from UAE Team Emirates - XRG? Cyclocross fans know exactly what kind of chaos would follow.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- I think Jonas would have lost the TDF by 4+ minutes (at the least) and might not have even been in the top 3. Too much talent in the younger riders to say anyone not named Pogačar would have been top 3md197503-11-2026
- this is just stupid. you already have 23%, gravel is over the topabstractengineer03-11-2026
- There was once a time when Lance was supremely popular and he used his artificial "It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life" persona to lead his mob in going after Greg. There was no one Lance did not abuse in protecting his phony hero image. Lance promoted himself as a divine megastar and he let down millions of cancer victims and gullible devotees who clung far too long to the charade. Lance is the epitome of a corrupt person and because of his power, many around him, including business enterprises, succumbed to the evil. All who got in Armstrong's way were mercilessly attacked by him and his minions. This remarkably continues today with a new generation. LeMond was a number one enemy and paid a huge price. Who do you think slandered who?Yepperoni03-11-2026
- You despise him because he calls out the truth....OK clown !frieders303-11-2026
- JV is really slighting himself with not doing the 1 dayers.. 🤷
leedorney02-11-2026 - Watch the interview on youtube. I don't speak French. I do speak English and Spanish and you can hear it in his voice. Years ago LeMond had real personal problems I imagine in no small part because of Armstrong. then Armstrong goes round "full blast" re: LeMond having drinking and drug problems. The same way Andreu was expelled from mainstream cycling so was LeMond. On the positive side the clips of the ride and chatting with old teammates and was good. To seemed like a fun day and experience and good reason brush up his French.atom02-11-2026
- and another no-news article around the ‚2 tokyo jogging rounds‘ headline, this time spiced with some days old ‚news‘ that the LA and japan vacation trips come during or after the tdf route release. i am getting more and more annoyed by this time-stealing no-news crap. but who am i to complain? nobody forces me to come back for more ‚news‘ day after day …Ketterechts02-11-2026
- It would likely be a very steep section of 4.1 km, not changing the average gradient considerably, with the climb remaining 10.1 km at 11.8%. It would reach 20% on the gravel. It would start 1.6 km in, and finish with 4.2 km left to climb (before the short final descent)
Rafionain-Glas02-11-2026 - Welcome to the off-season.
santiagobenites02-11-2026 - guillaume martin in this list is quite a surprise as a gc rider.Ketterechts02-11-2026
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