“The challenge is to turn cyclocross into a product that will still appeal in 2030" - Cyclocross World Cup speaks out on future of the sport
Cyclocross
Tomas Van Den Spiegel, the CEO of Flanders Classic has spoken out on his plans to make Cyclocross a must-watch piece of sporting action. "The challenge is to turn cyclocross into a product that will still appeal in 2030 within that range, without losing sight of tradition.”
With a cyclocross World Cup event taking place almost every week currently, Van Den Spiegel is keen to build on the hype around the sports stars such as Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock by having them enter the biggest races. "Participation is indeed one of our concerns. We have invested in cyclocross, we believe very much in it, but we need to look at how we can improve participation.”
One of his plans to ensure the biggest and best riders compete on a regular basis is to up the prize money on offer. "We have just put that starting money discussion in the fridge for now,” says Van Den Spiegel. “We try to structure and professionalize the proliferation in cyclo-cross.”
One of Van Den Spiegel's eyes is always on the future of the sport and developing it as best as possible. “In cyclocross, everyone is focused on today and tomorrow, but we also look at the long term,” the Fleming continued. “And I think we could sometimes get a little more help with that. Our ambition is sincere to give cyclocross the place it deserves as a sport.”
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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