The 2025-2026 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup came to an end on Sunday 25 January, after a closing double header in Maasmachelen (Belgium) and Hoogerheide (the Netherlands) across the weekend. The back‑to‑back races marked the end of a 12‑round series, which began in November in Tábor (Czechia), crowning the season’s standout winners.
Dutch stars claimed the honours in both Elite categories, with Lucinda Brand (Baloise Verzekeringen - Het Poetsbureau Lions) ruling the women’s competition for the second year in a row, after previous success in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022, while Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) topped the men’s rankings. The two icons made history, each claiming eight UCI World Cup victories this year.
Two other Dutch athletes took the Men Under-23 and Women Under 23 overall honours: David Haverdings and reigning European Champion Leonie Bentveld. Victory in the Women Junior category went to France’s Lise Revol, while Italy’s Patrick Pezzo Rosola won in the Men Junior competition.
Men Elite: MVDP’s greatest campaign
Van der Poel’s place in history is already assured, and it could reach new heights next weekend with a potential eighth Men Elite UCI Cyclo-cross World Champion title. Still, his 2025-2026 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup campaign proved to be very special, even for an icon who has been collecting historic successes for over a decade.
Racing at home on Sunday, Van der Poel delighted the crowds with an early attack and a commanding one-man show at the front, capping off an outstanding season with a final masterclass in the Netherlands, after his victories in Belgium (Namur, Antwerpen, Koksijde, Gavere, Zonhoven, and Maasmechelen) and Spain (Benidorm). His flawless record earned him a total of 320 points, while runner-up Thibau Nys (Baloise Verzekeringen - Het Poetsbureau Lions) finished on 264.
“I’m happy,” a grinning Van der Poel said, with the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships also on his mind. “I worked hard in Spain to be in top shape and it seems it worked. Hopefully now I can have a good and easy week and go for it next week.”
Van der Poel’s only previous overall victory in the UCI Men Elite Cyclo-cross World Cup came in 2017-2018. At the time, he won seven of the nine rounds, including in Hoogerheide. This season, he's extended his personal best to eight victories and set a new record with 51 UCI Elite Cyclo-cross World Cup wins, one more than Sven Nys (BEL).
Women Elite: Brand on top, Pieterse on the rise
After a spectacular season that began with an opening victory in Tábor, Brand sealed her overall triumph as early as round 10, as she powered to her eighth win of the season in Benidorm, after conquests in Italy (Terralba) and Belgium (Namur, Antwerpen, Koksijde, Gavere, Dendermonde).
“It’s a good feeling,” the Dutch expert said, having secured her fourth overall Women Elite success in the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup and turning her attention to the final events of the season. Unfortunately, these sensations were much less positive in Maasmechelen, where she came 10th, before withdrawing from the final round in Hoogerheide.
“After the finish, I had quite some calf pain,” Brand explained on social media. “After a check, we decided it’s better not to start today.” The Dutch icon now has a week to recover before she chases a second rainbow jersey after winning the 2021 UCI Cyclo-cross World Champion title.
The final weekend of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup favoured her compatriot Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech), who claimed back-to-back victories, her first in the series since dominating Gavere, Hulst and Zonhoven in the 2023-2024 season.
Youth classes: French, Italian and Dutch talents on top
The final weekend of the 2025-2026 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup also settled battles in the Men Under 23, Women Under 23, Women Junior and Men Junior categories.
David Haverdings, who had already won the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup as a Junior in 2021-2022, took overall honours in the Men Under 23 category with victories in four rounds (Tábor, Koksijde, Dendermonde, and Benidorm). France’s Aubin Sparfel, winner in Flamanville (France), claimed victory in the final round in Hoogerheide to cement second place behind Haverdings.
In the Women Under 23 standings, Leonie Bentveld claimed the top spot with 203 points, comfortably ahead of France’s Célia Gery with 129 points. Bentveld also finished 7th in the overall Women Elite rankings, reflecting her consistency throughout the 2025–2026 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup season.