Cyclo-cross is a form of bicycle racing. Races typically take place in the autumn and winter, and consist of many laps of a short course featuring pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep hills and obstacles requiring the rider to quickly dismount, carry the bike while navigating the obstruction and remount. Races for senior categories are generally between 40 minutes and an hour long, with the distance varying depending on the ground conditions. The sport is strongest in the traditional road cycling countries such as Belgium, France and the Netherlands.
Groupama–FDJ is a French cycling team at UCI WorldTeam level. The team is managed by Marc Madiot, a former road bicycle racer and winner of the Paris–Roubaix classic in 1985 and 1991. The team is predominantly French.
Steve Chainel is a French racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Cyclo-cross Pro Team Cross Team Legendre. Chainel has previously competed for the Auber 93, Bbox Bouygues Telecom, FDJ, Ag2r–La Mondiale and Cofidis professional teams.
Alpecin–Deceuninck is a UCI WorldTeam cycling team that is based in Belgium. It competes both in the road and cyclo-cross seasons. The leaders of the team have in the past been cyclo-cross world champion Niels Albert, Philipp Walsleben and Radomír Šimůnek. The team's current lead rider is the cyclocross world champion and multiple monuments winner Mathieu van der Poel.
Arnold Jeannesson is a French former road bicycle racer, who competed professionally between 2008 and 2017. He previously specialised in cyclo-cross and mountain biking. Jeannesson wore the white jersey of the highest placed rider under the age of 26 for two days in the 2011 Tour de France. In October 2015, Cofidis announced that Jeannesson would be part of their squad for 2016. Jeannesson announced in August 2017 that he would end his professional career on the road at the end of the season 2017.
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is a French multi-discipline bicycle racer, who rides for UCI Mountain Bike team Ineos Grenadiers in cross-country cycling. Ferrand-Prévot has also competed in road bicycle racing and cyclo-cross during her career, winning the world title in each discipline. During the 2015 season, aged just 23, she became the first person ever – in the history of cycling – to simultaneously hold the World road title, World cyclo-cross title and World cross-country mountain bike title.
Clément Venturini is a French cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam AG2R Citroën Team. In 2011, he won the UCI Junior World Cyclo-cross Championship. In May 2018, he was named in the startlist for the 2018 Giro d'Italia. In August 2019, he was named in the startlist for the 2019 Vuelta a España. In August 2020, he was named in the start list for the 2020 Tour de France.
Tim Merlier is a Belgian cyclist who rides for UCI WorldTeam Soudal–Quick-Step.
Marcel Meisen is a German cyclo-cross and road cyclist, who rides for German amateur teams RC Zugvogel 09 Aachen and Stevens Racing Team. He has represented his nation in the men's elite event at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, on eleven occasions.
Mickaël Crispin is a French cyclo-cross cyclist, who currently rides for French amateur team Philippe Wagner Cycling. In 2019 he won the U-23 European Championship, and finished second at the French U23 Championship. Throughout the same 2019-2020 season, Mickael recorded five other podium finishes in the U-23 ranks, principally competing in his native France. As a junior rider, he won the silver medal in the men's junior event at the 2016 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Heusden-Zolder.
Thomas Bonnet is a French road and cyclo-cross racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI ProTeam Team TotalEnergies. He won the bronze medal in the men's junior event at the 2016 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Heusden-Zolder.
Clement Russo is a French road and cyclo-cross cyclist, who currently rides for UCI ProTeam Arkéa–Samsic. He competed in the men's under-23 event at the 2016 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Heusden-Zolder. In August 2020, he was named in the startlist for the 2020 Tour de France.
David Menut is a French cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Cyclo-cross Pro Team Cross Team Legendre.
Thomas Pidcock is a British cyclist who currently competes in the cyclo-cross, mountain bike and road bicycle racing disciplines of the sport for UCI WorldTeam Ineos Grenadiers.
Romain Seigle is a French cyclist, who last rode for UCI WorldTeam Groupama–FDJ. In August 2019, he was named in the startlist for the 2019 Vuelta a España.
Clara Honsinger is an American professional cyclist who currently rides for UCI Women's Continental Team EF Education–Tibco–SVB in road racing, and Cannondale–Cyclocrossworld.com in cyclo-cross.
Antoine Benoist is a French former road and cyclo-cross cyclist. He retired in June 2022 due to health issues.
Timon Rüegg is a Swiss road and cyclo-cross cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Cyclo-cross Pro Team Cross Team Legendre.
Loris Rouiller is a Swiss cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Cyclo-cross team Cross Team Legendre. He primarily competes in cyclo-cross, but also on the road and in mountain biking.
Yan Gras is a French cyclist, who competes in cyclo-cross for UCI Cyclo-cross Pro Team Podiocom CC and for French amateur team SCO Dijon on the road.
Patrice Thévenard (FRA)
Gerben Kuypers (BEL)