2026 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships
The 2026 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships was the 77th edition of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships. It was the annual world championship for the cycling discipline of cyclo-cross. It was held from 30 January to 1 February in Hulst, Netherlands. The championships are organized by the Union Cycliste Internationale and sponsored by Rabobank.
Venue
Hulst was officially confirmed as the host city in September 2021. The city had previously hosted UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup races, but never a world championship.The course is long, with of elevation gain, including 7 bridges and a section of 22 stairs.
Competition schedule
All times are local, CET.| Date | Time | Race Category |
| Mixed team relay | ||
| Women's junior race | ||
| Men's under-23 race | ||
| Women's elite race | ||
| Men's junior race | ||
| [UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships – Women's under-23 race|] | ||
| Men's elite race |
Pre-race favorites
Mathieu van der Poel, the reigning seven-time champion, was widely seen as the favorite for the men's elite race. Expected challengers included Thibau Nys, Michael Vanthourenhout, Toon Aerts, Emiel Verstrynge, and Laurens Sweeck. Favorites for the women's elite race include Lucinda Brand, Inge van der Heijden, Aniek van Alphen, Puck Pieterse, and Amandine Fouquenet.Results
Women
Elite
The Elite Women's race took place on Saturday in 6 laps over a total distance of 19.60 km. 31 riders from 16 nations took part in the race.Under-23
The Under-23 Women's race took place on Sunday in 5 laps over a total distance of 16.35 km. 32 riders from 15 nations took part in the race.Junior
The Junior Women's race took place on Saturday in 5 laps over a total distance of 16.35 km. 47 riders from 19 nations took part in the race.Men
Elite
The Elite Men's race took place on Sunday in 8 laps over a total distance of 26.10 km. 39 riders from 17 nations took part in the race.Under-23
The Under-23 Men's race took place on Saturday in 7 laps over a total distance of 22.85 km. 47 riders from 17 nations took part in the race.Junior
The Junior Men's race took place on Sunday in 5 laps over a total distance of 16.35 km. 61 riders from 20 nations took part in the race.Mixed Event
Team Relay
This will be the 5th edition of the Mixed Team Relay event at the world championships. Each relay team consisted of 6 riders which could be made up of:- 1 Elite Men or 1 Under-23 Men rider,
- 1 Under-23 Men or 1 Junior Men rider,
- 1 Junior Men rider,
- 1 Elite Women or 1 Under-23 Women rider,
- 1 Under-23 Women or 1 Junior Women rider,
- 1 Junior Women rider,