UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships 2016
Latest News from the Race
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“For me it’s the worst thing you can do”
UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships
At the start of the 2015-2016 season, it seemed inevitable that there would be a Belgian winner in the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships elite men's race. After all, defending champion Mathieu van der Poel was out of commission after a knee injury, and Wout Van Aert was practically unstoppable.
Since then, Van Aert has struggled to keep his momentum, while Van der Poel returned with a vengeance in December, and has not lost a World Cup since. The young Dutch rider's sheer dominance in the Hoogerheide World Cup in the lead-up to Worlds was a major warning shot to the Belgian team.
Fortunes can be easily reversed, as we saw in last year's Worlds, where Van Aert was the hot favourite and suffered mechanicals and crashes that pushed him into third behind Lars van der Haar.
Dutchman Van der Haar and Belgian Kevin Pauwels have been showing strong form in recent races, while the cagey veteran Sven Nys can never be counted out of the action.
On the women's side, defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot is out with injury, as is seven-time winner Marianne Vos, leaving the door wide open for World Cup winner Sanne Cant.
The Belgian had her strongest season yet, but late challengers such as Ellen Van Loy, Sophie de Boer, Eva Lechner and Nikki Harris have shown themselves in recent races.
2016 will be the first year for the separate youth women category (17-23), which comes in addition to the U23 men and junior men's races.
2015 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships | 2014 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships
Recent champions
Year | Rider Name (Country) |
---|---|
2015 | Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands) |
2014 | Zdenek Štybar (Czech Republic) |
2013 | Sven Nys (Belgium) |
2012 | Niels Albert (Belgium) |
2011 | Zdenek Štybar (Czech Republic) |
2010 | Zdenek Štybar (Czech Republic) |
2009 | Niels Albert (Belgium) |
2008 | Lars Boom (Netherlands) |
2007 | Erwin Vervecken (Belgium) |
2006 | Erwin Vervecken (Belgium) |
2005 | Sven Nys (Belgium) |
2004 | Bart Wellens (Belgium) |
2003 | Bart Wellens (Belgium) |
2002 | Mario De Clercq (Belgium) |
2001 | Erwin Vervecken (Belgium) |
2000 | Richard Groenendaal (Netherlands) |
Year | Rider Name (Country) |
---|---|
2015 | Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (France) |
2014 | Marianne Vos (Netherlands) |
2013 | Marianne Vos (Netherlands) |
2012 | Marianne Vos (Netherlands) |
2011 | Marianne Vos (Netherlands) |
2010 | Marianne Vos (Netherlands) |
2009 | Marianne Vos (Netherlands) |
2008 | Hanka Kupfernagel (Germany) |
2007 | Maryline Salvetat (France) |
2006 | Marianne Vos (Netherlands) |
2005 | Hanka Kupfernagel (Germany) |
2004 | Laurence Leboucher (France) |
2003 | Daphny van den Brand (Netherlands) |
2002 | Laurence Leboucher (France) |
2001 | Hanka Kupfernagel (Germany) |
2000 | Hanka Kupfernagel (Germany) |
Year | Rider Name (Country) |
---|---|
2015 | Michael Vanthourenhout (Belgium) |
2014 | Wout Van Aert (Belgium) |
2013 | Mike Theunissen (Netherlands) |
2012 | Lars Van der Haar (Netherlands) |
2011 | Lars Van der Haar (Netherlands) |
2010 | Arnaud Jouffroy (France) |
2009 | Philipp Walsleben (Germany) |
2008 | Niels Albert (Belgium) |
2007 | Lars Boom (Netherlands) |
2006 | Zdenek Štybar (Czech Republic) |
2005 | Zdenek Štybar (Czech Republic) |
2004 | Kevin Pauwels (Belgium) |
2003 | Enrico Franzoi (Italy) |
2002 | Thijs Verhagen (Netherlands) |
2001 | Sven Vanthourenhout (Belgium) |
2000 | Bart Wellens (Belgium) |
Year | Rider Name (Country) |
---|---|
2015 | Simon Andreassen (Denmark) |
2014 | Thijs Aerts (Belgium) |
2013 | Mathieu Van der Poel (Netherlands) |
2012 | Mathieu Van der Poel (Netherlands) |
2011 | Clément Venturini (France) |
2010 | Tomas Paprstka (Czech Republic) |
2009 | Tijmen Eising (Netherlands) |
2008 | Arnaud Jouffroy (France) |
2007 | Joeri Adams (Belgium) |
2006 | Boy van Poppel (Netherlands) |
2005 | Davide Malacarne (Italy) |
2004 | Niels Albert (Belgium) |
2003 | Lars Boom (Netherlands) |
2002 | Kevin Pauwels (Belgium) |
2001 | Martin Bína (Czech Republic) |
2000 | Bart Aernouts (Belgium) |
Races
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UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships 201630 January 2016 - 31 January 2016 | Heusden-Zolder | CM
Top News on the Race
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Weekend wrap-up: Cyclo-cross World Championships, Mallorca Challenge
Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race and GP Marseille -
Nys misty-eyed over end to his World Championships run
Belgian pleased with fourth in final Worlds -
Van der Poel falls flat in world championship defence
Dutch rider says Van Aert is a deserving champion
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Femke Van den Driessche denies using motor at cyclo-cross World Championships
Belgian says bike belongs to a friend -
UCI confirms motorised doping uncovered at cyclo-cross World Championships
Motor discovered in 19-year-old's Femke Van den Driessche's bike -
De Jong brings cyclo-cross world title back to the Netherlands - Women's News Shorts
Cant emotional after bronze-medal performance at Worlds, Richards makes history, Cervelo Bigla's new kit - video
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UCI investigates possible bike fraud at cyclo-cross Worlds
Bike detained after inaugural U23 women's race in Zolder -
Wyman's power data from World Cyclo-cross Championships course - Video
Detailed analysis of what to expect this weekend in Zolder -
Nys raced his last World Cup in Hoogerheide - News Shorts
Top riders could skip Colombian Championships due to event postponement, Rollin retires after seven-year career in bike racing
Related Features
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UCI Cyclo-cross World Championship start lists
Official starters as of January 29, 2016 -
10 riders to watch at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships
Expect a Van Aert, Van der Poel shoot-out; can Cant win?