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.
Roland Liboton is a Belgian former cyclo-cross racer. Liboton won the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in 1980, 1982, 1983, and 1984, was the Belgian national champion for ten successive years from 1980 to 1989. He also won the Superprestige in 1985, 1986 and 1988. Liboton also occasionally competed in road races, having ridden in the 1981 Tour de France. He retired from professional competition in 1992.
Timothy Johnson is an American professional racing cyclist who has found success in cyclocross and road bicycle racing, and is one of only five male riders from the United States to stand on a UCI Cyclocross World Championships podium. Johnson has six career national championships – three Elite, two Espoir and one Junior – and a bronze medal from the UCI Cyclocross World Championships that he won in 1999 in Poprad, Slovakia. Johnson spent his 2009 road season riding for the Ouch presented by Maxxis team, of which he is the Road Captain. For 2010, Johnson rode for UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team presented by Maxxis. Johnson is divorced of fellow professional cyclist Lyne Bessette. In June 2018 Tim was named the director for development for the USA Cycling Foundation.
Marianne Vos is a Dutch multi-discipline cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam Team Visma–Lease a Bike.
Paul Herygers is a retired Belgian cyclo-cross cyclist.
Kaitlin Keough is an American professional racing cyclist who has found success in cyclocross and road bicycle racing despite her young age, winning multiple national championships in both cyclocross and on the track.
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.
Inge van der Heijden is a Dutch professional racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's Continental Team Fenix–Deceuninck in road cycling, and in cyclo-cross for UCI Cyclo-cross Team 777.
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.
The Brussels Universities cross is a cyclo-cross race held in Brussels, Belgium, which is part of the DVV Trophy.
Niels Vandeputte is a Belgian cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Continental team Alpecin–Deceuninck Development Team. He won the prestigious Under-23 Duinencross Koksijde in 2019.
Cameron Mason is a British cyclist, who competes in cyclo-cross, gravel, road racing and mountain bike, and currently racing for UCI cyclo-cross team The Cyclocross Reds. His most notable achievement was coming 2nd in the men's elite race at the UEC European Cyclo-cross Championships in Pontchâteau, France in November 2023. He previously rode from 2019-2023 for Trinity Racing. He also runs a YouTube channel where he vlogs and gives his perspective on the races he competes in.
Fem van Empel is a Dutch professional racing cyclist. In January 2021, she won the women's under-23 race at the 2021 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships. During the 2022–2023 season she won the women's elite race at the World Championships and the European Cyclo-cross Championships. On 22 January 2023, she secured overall victory at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup (2022–23). On 16 Feb 2023 at Brussels, Fem clinched the X20 Badkamers Trophy. The previous week, her first race in the World Champions jersey, competing in the X20 Badkamers at Lille she finished 1st doing a "Pidcock" across the finish line. In the cyclo cross season 2023 to 2024 Fem Van Empel was first in her first eleven races. Having finished the previous season with five successive firsts, it brought her run of first places in top level Cyclocross to sixteen. Fem Van Empel retained her UCI World Championship at Tábor on 3 February 2024. One respected commentator noted he had "run out of superlatives to describe Fems phenomenal talent", calling her "The Golden Girl of Cyclocross". Another described her performance as " pretty much perfection" . "Velo" noted that "her 18th victory out of what has been a 20-race season" is "a staggering success rate " .Fem completed her 2023 to 2024 season with a win to take the X²O Badkamers Trophy at Lille on 11 Feb. This took her number of wins for the season to 19 from 21 races. At the end of season 2023 to 2024 Fems' career total number of Elite level Cyclo-cross race wins was 37.
Shirin van Anrooij is a Dutch professional racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam Lidl–Trek. and UCI Cyclo-Cross Pro Team Baloise Trek Lions. She is the current under 23 UCI Cyclo-cross World Champion.
Stan Van Tricht is a Belgian cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Alpecin–Deceuninck.
Maghalie Rochette is a Canadian cyclist, who specializes in cyclo-cross.
Joran Wyseure is a Belgian cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Continental team Alpecin–Deceuninck Development Team. He won the 2022 UCI Cyclo-cross Under-23 World Championships.
Emiel Verstrynge is a Belgian cyclist, who currently rides UCI Continental team Alpecin–Deceuninck Development Team. He won the silver medal at the 2022 UCI Cyclo-cross Under-23 World Championships.
The calendar for the 2022–2023 men's and women's cyclo-cross season includes cyclo-cross races starting on 13 August 2022, and ending in February 2023. The individual events are classified into five categories. The highest category includes the world cup events (CDM), which gives rise to a ranking. Behind them, we find the C1 and C2 category races, which award points are for the world ranking, then the races reserved for those under 23, also called hopes and finally the races for juniors. There are also national championships (NC) which are organized in about thirty countries.
The calendar for the 2023–2024 men's and women's cyclo-cross season includes cyclo-cross races starting on 19 August 2023, and ending in February 2024. The individual events are classified into five categories. The highest category includes the world cup events (CDM), which gives rise to a ranking. Behind them, we find the C1 and C2 category races, which award points are for the world ranking, then the races reserved for those under 23, also called hopes and finally the races for juniors. There are also national championships (NC) which are organized in about thirty countries.
Nick Van De Kerckhove (BEL)
Mathieu van der Poel (NED)(3 wins)
Zoe Bäckstedt (GBR)
