World Cup Zonhoven Cyclocross - Startlist, Map, Favorites, how to watch live and on TV Mathieu van der Poel in the USA and UK
Cyclocross
Round 9 of the cyclocross World Cup will take place this Sunday, January 4th, in Zonhoven. Mathieu van der Poel will be the grand headliner of the race which takes the riders into the famous 'De Kuil' sand pit; whilst Wout van Aert is now at home nursing an injury suffered at the Exact Cross Mol. We take a look at the startlist of the race and where to watch it online, on TV, in the USA and UK.
Muddy season has finally begun in Belgium and the riders will be feeling it in Zonhoven. Sporadic periods of snow are in fact expected throughout the weekend, but there is no snowstorm on the forecast such as the one that fell on the riders in Mol.
It will be a course that will be quite muddy however, and the temperatures will be freezing, with a maximum of 0 degrees throughout the day. It will be a very difficult day for the riders, the weather will make it an even more difficult affair whilst the course requires extensive focus and technique, specially in the downhill sand sections of 'De Kuil', one of the sport's most iconic locations.
Map of the 2026 Zonhoven World Cup Cyclocross race
How to watch
In the morning there will be a women's junior race starting out at 10:00CET whilst the men's event begins at 12:00CET.
The women's elite race will start at 13:40CET and should end at approximately 14:30CET. The men's race begins at 15:10CET and should end at around 16:15CET.
The race will be broadcast on Eurosport and HBO Max/Discover+ as is usual, as well as the UCI's Youtube channel live. Furthermore this race will be broadcast in:
| Belgium | Sporza, Pickx+ Sports & RTBF |
| United States | FloBikes |
| Canada | FloBikes |
| United Kingdom | TNT Sports |
| France | L'ÉquipeTV |
| Netherlands | NOS |
| Czech Republic | Ceská Televise |
| Italy | RaiPlay |
| Denmark | TV2 Danmark |
| Slovakia | RTV: Sport Slovakia |
| Hungary | M4-Sport |
Read also
Men's race
Mathieu van der Poel has gotten the big goals of the season almost handed to him, in a way. With Wout van Aert injured, the one man who seemed to be able to challenge him is out of competition and an eighth world title looks inevitable unless he himself gets injured or ill. And on the other hand, with Laurens Sweeck also injured and out of competition, the Dutchman should have the World Cup in his hand. And as soon as this Sunday, ce should jump into the lead of the cup.
Thibau Nys is the new 'provisional' world cup leader with 183 points, but he has himself skipped two races. He holds 23 points over van der Poel who is very likely to win in the sand and score 40, so he must take a ninth place (17 points) at least to have the jersey in Benidorm within two weeks. Quite a likely scenario, even though Nys is absolutely not a fan of the sand and has occasional off-days.
The Dutch have Joris Nieuwenhuis, Tibor del Grosso, Lars van der Haar, Pim Ronhaar, Mees Hendrikx, Ryan Kamp and under-23 talent David Haverdings present; the Belgian have Michael Vanthourenhout, Niels Vandeputte, Toon Aerts, Emiel Verstrynge, , Jente Michels, Toon Vandebosch, Gerben Kuypers and Joran Wyseure as capable of finishing amongst the best; whilst the likes of Felipe Orts, Cameron Mason, Kevin Kuhn, Andrew Strohmeyer and Filippo Fontana lead the 'international' pack.
Startlist Men World Cup Zonhoven
| Number | Rider |
| 1 | Mathieu van der Poel |
| 2 | Joris Nieuwenhuis |
| 3 | Lars van der Haar |
| 4 | Tibor Del Grosso |
| 5 | Pim Ronhaar |
| 6 | Mees Hendrikx |
| 7 | Ryan Kamp |
| 8 | David Haverdings |
| 10 | Guus van den Eijnden |
| 11 | Keije Solen |
| 13 | Floris Haverdings |
| 14 | Michael Vanthourenhout |
| 15 | Thibau Nys |
| 16 | Niels Vandeputte |
| 17 | Toon Aerts |
| 18 | Emiel Verstrynge |
| 19 | Joran Wyseure |
| 21 | Toon Vandebosch |
| 22 | Jente Michels |
| 23 | Witse Meeussen |
| 24 | Kay De Bruyckere |
| 27 | Aaron Dockx |
| 28 | Gerben Kuypers |
| 29 | Aubin Sparfel |
| 30 | Nathan Bommenel |
| 31 | David Menut |
| 32 | Théo Thomas |
| 33 | Rémi Lelandais |
| 35 | Jules Simon |
| 36 | Léo Bisiaux |
| 38 | Felipe Orts Lloret |
| 39 | Mario Junquera San Millan |
| 40 | Kevin Suarez Fernandez |
| 41 | Kevin Kuhn |
| 42 | Lars Sommer |
| 43 | Cameron Mason |
| 44 | Thomas Mein |
| 45 | Andrew Strohmeyer |
| 46 | Jules Van Kempen |
| 47 | Dylan Zakrajsek |
| 48 | Calvin Conaway |
| 49 | Noah Shelton |
| 50 | Patrick Frank |
| 51 | Max Heiner Oertzen |
| 52 | Lukas Herrmann |
| 53 | Silas Kuschla |
| 54 | Jonas Köpsel |
| 55 | Fabian Eder |
| 56 | Florian Hamm |
| 57 | Tyler Clark |
| 58 | Cody Scott |
| 59 | Rhett Bates |
| 60 | Liam Sargent |
| 61 | Remi Brisebois |
| 62 | Stefano Viezzi |
| 63 | Filippo Fontana |
| 64 | Federico Ceolin |
| 65 | Samuele Scappini |
| 66 | Tommaso Ferri |
| 67 | Edoardo Bolzan |
| 68 | Gabriele Spadoni |
| 69 | Marco Marzani |
| 70 | Michael Boroš |
| 71 | Matyas Fiala |
| 72 | Jakub Ruman |
| 73 | Kosuke Endo |
| 74 | Tetsuki Kaji |
| 75 | Yuta Okayama |
| 76 | Ayato Tajima |
| 77 | Marek Konwa |
| 78 | Bailey Groenendaal |
| 79 | Dries Bruynseels |
| 80 | David Risberg |
| 81 | Vilmar Aastrup |
| 82 | Vilmer Ekman |
| 83 | Dovydas Luksas |
| 84 | Jacob Turner |
Women's race
In the women's race, like the men's event, it's hard to think of a different winner other than the rider who has been dominating the calendar recently: Lucinda Brand. The Dutchwoman has the World Cup win virtually confirmed and has won every single race in the competition that she started. Here, it will be difficult to challenge her too, and without racing in Mol, fatigue shouldn't affect her either.
But as the season develops so do new riders, who have begun their campaign later and are now in great form, and it can be argued that Puck Pieterse can be a very dangerous threat in such a technical race, specially after her win in Diegem and close second place in Baal behind Brand.
Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (winner in Mol), Inge van der Heijden, Aniek van Alphen, Manon Bakker, Leonie Bentveld, Shirin van Anrooij, Amandine Fouquenet, Célia Gery, Marion Norbert Riberolle, Julie Brouwers, Sara Casasola, Marie Schreiber and Zoe Bäckstedt are all present to provide the race with more depth and quality in what is going to be a very special Sunday.
Startlist Women World Cup Zonhoven
| Number | Rider |
| 2 | Lucinda Brand |
| 3 | Inge van der Heijden |
| 4 | Aniek van Alphen |
| 5 | Puck Pieterse |
| 6 | Manon Bakker |
| 7 | Leonie Bentveld |
| 8 | Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado |
| 9 | Denise Betsema |
| 10 | Shirin van Anrooij |
| 12 | Lauren Molengraaf |
| 13 | Annemarie Worst |
| 14 | Mae Cabaca |
| 15 | Bloeme Kalis |
| 17 | Amandine Fouquenet |
| 18 | Hélène Clauzel |
| 19 | Célia Gery |
| 20 | Amandine Muller |
| 21 | Perrine Clauzel |
| 22 | Lison Desprez |
| 24 | Anaïs Moulin |
| 25 | Marion Norbert Riberolle |
| 26 | Julie Brouwers |
| 27 | Laura Verdonschot |
| 28 | Jinse Peeters |
| 29 | Kiona Crabbé |
| 30 | Alicia Franck |
| 31 | Sterre Vervloet |
| 32 | Shanyl De Schoesitter |
| 33 | Fleur Moors |
| 34 | Loes Sels |
| 35 | Ilken Seynave |
| 36 | Lotte Baele |
| 37 | Marthe Truyen |
| 38 | Sara Casasola |
| 39 | Carlotta Borello |
| 40 | Lucia Bramati |
| 41 | Elisa Ferri |
| 42 | Giorgia Secchi |
| 43 | Sofia Rodriguez Revert |
| 44 | Lucia Gonzalez Blanco |
| 45 | Sara Cueto Vega |
| 46 | Carla Bañuls Puente |
| 47 | Luna Carrio Hernandez |
| 48 | Rafaelle Carrier |
| 49 | Nico Knoll |
| 50 | Katja Verkerk |
| 51 | Dorothee Perron |
| 52 | Kelly Siobhan |
| 53 | Lizzy Gunsalus |
| 54 | Lauren Zoerner |
| 55 | Emily Shields |
| 56 | Regina Bruchner |
| 57 | Kaija Budde |
| 58 | Judith Krahl |
| 59 | Rosalie Denk |
| 60 | Mille Nielsen |
| 61 | Kristýna Zemanová |
| 62 | Zoe Backstedt |
| 63 | Xan Crees |
| 64 | Anna Kay |
| 65 | Rebekka Estermann |
| 66 | Marie Schreiber |
| 67 | Maïté Barthels |
| 68 | Liv Wenzel |
| 69 | Layla Barthels |
| 70 | Nina Berton |
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- big rival … ridiculous.Ketterechts07-11-2026
- It would be great if the World Champion's jersey could be rotated among McNulty, Simmons, and Jorgenson. They threaded the needle perfectly. If each hadn't done exactly what he did, exactly when he did it, the race would have gone to one of the more heralded superstars. That said, how nice that this humble and hardworking guy gets his moment in the sun.
MarkFour07-11-2026 - This is a really interesting idea, which, if well prepared could even be very successful. Very little money needs to be involved for a first season and any success could lead to rapid interest from sponsors.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Hmmm, you seem to have a very convenient black and white view of things. Perhaps you haven’t been around much to discover how complex problems can become over time with people who know how to control, manipulate (or worse) others so gradually or subtly that you arrive at an irresolvable situation before you realise. This is how many inconveniences get introduced to the young, naïve, passionate or “desperate”, knowing they are not armed, protected or strong enough to defend themselves once it’s too late. Why do you think omerta culture is so widespread, why do you think so many people continue to go through so many awful things in life that others can’t understand anyone getting into? Life may be far more jolly for you but you would do well to understand (or reflect more on) the real world to refrain from being so quick to criticise those in a hard spot that may have genuine reason for speaking out.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Seriously do you think when somebody gets into a serious accident, the ambulance is called by the hurt person?🤦 there is always a buddy system in place for a risky job. police , firefighters etc so that if someone gets hurt, the other call that in.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment