"On Christmas Day, a rider wants to be with his family": Bart Wellens criticises new cyclocross calendar proposals

Cyclo-cross is a very particular discipline. In cycling, it is the only mainstream one whose season runs in winter. That, while it brings positives, also has a downside for riders like Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, Thibau Nys and company. And that is the focus of former world champion Bart Wellens in his latest remarks.

The proposal to add a cyclo-cross race on Christmas Day within the new winter calendar has ignited a heated debate, and one of the most critical voices has been Wellens. The double world champion, always direct in his analysis, makes no secret of his displeasure at a decision that, in his view, overlooks the more human side of the sport.

In an analysis published in Het Nieuwsblad, the Belgian firmly questions scheduling a race on 25.12, a date traditionally reserved for family. For Wellens, it is not just a logistical issue, but one of respect for the riders: "That is a day when a cyclist also wants to devote time to his family."

From his point of view, the calendar is already demanding enough without adding another obligation on such a significant day, and he fears that these decisions will further wear down the protagonists.

Organisers, led by Golazo, take a different stance, however. They argue that choosing Christmas Day follows "exhaustive research" and believe that, while Christmas Eve is the true moment for family intimacy, the following day can host other plans. In that sense, they think a major Christmas race could work both sportingly and for the public.

This move also means bringing forward the traditional Heusden-Zolder race, usually held on St Stephen’s Day (December 26th). For Wellens, that change highlights a worrying trend towards commercially driven decisions with little regard for riders’ welfare.

Beyond the Christmas controversy, the former champion also points to another issue he considers even more serious: the cyclocross calendar which used to span from September to March is now nearly exclusive run in the months of December and January with a brief prelude in the form of first World Cup rounds joined by European Championships already in November. "It’s a shame that the Superprestige now also has its final round in early January. This makes the period after the Worlds less and less important."

Wellens recalls that races retain a very high competitive level precisely when there are goals at stake after the Worlds. As an example, he points to this year in Middelkerke and Lille, where we saw top-quality racing because there were still real sporting incentives.

His conclusion is clear and concerning: if the weeks after the Worlds also disappear, cyclo-cross could be left with an effective season of barely four months. A scenario that, in his view, would especially harm the pure specialists. "We must keep giving true cyclo-cross riders, like Vandeputte or Michael Vanthourenhout, the chance to continue showcasing their talent."

A warning issued from the experience of someone who has lived cyclo-cross from the inside, and which reopens the debate on where the winter calendar should be heading.