UCI begins talks on Cyclocross World Cup - "It is essential for the UCI to ensure a balance"

The debate on the participation of athletes in the cyclocross World Cup has now been formalized. In a press release, cycling's governing body writes that it has initiated reflection on the topic.

"The UCI has decided to initiate reflection on the participation of athletes in the rounds of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup and other events on the discipline’s UCI International Calendar in order to guarantee the coherence of its major events," were the words issued in the press release. "Indeed, it is essential for the UCI to ensure a balance between the various major cyclo-cross events and the participation of athletes in these competitions.

This debate began quite abruptly last week when in an interview with DirectVeló, UCI president David Lappartient said that "if a cyclocross rider prefers a national competition while there is a World Cup, he will not participate in the next World Cup and therefore also not the cyclo-cross World Championships. The World Cup is not a competition where you can choose what you want to ride. Everyone just has to participate.”

Rather than initiate debate this statement was seen as a threat - together with the specific criticism of Thibau Nys - and was heavily criticized by riders, managers and others. No changes are assured, instead this is set to stimulate talks. In question is the diminishing interest of top cyclocross riders in the World Cup and subsequent absence from events, as the cup grew considerably from 9 to 14 races in recent years and riders feel like they cannot combine that growth with consistency throughout the winter.