Zonhoven (Belgium) and the stars of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup delivered thrilling battles on Sunday 4 January to kick off 2026 in spectacular fashion and gear up towards an exhilarating final rush to their campaign.
Lucinda Brand (Baloise Verzekeringen-Het Poetsbureau Lions) and Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) lead the overall standings, with nine rounds behind them and three more ahead.
Next weekend is dedicated to National Championships before the final rounds of the 2025-2026 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in Benidorm (Spain, 18 January), Maasmechelen (Belgium, 24 January) and Hoogerheide (the Netherlands, 25 January) ahead of the 2026 Rabobank UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Hulst (the Netherlands, 30 January - 1 February).
Men Elite: flawless Van der Poel takes over
Already victorious at the Belgian rounds in Namur and Antwerpen when he returned to competition in December, Van der Poel kept his winning streak going with more successes in Belgium (Gavere and Zonhoven) that further established his dominance. No matter the environment, the challenges or the competition, the Dutchman lights up the races with his rainbow jersey.
Van der Poel has now claimed victory in his last 11 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup participations - his last ‘defeat’ dating back to January 2024, in Benidorm. His perfect hit ratio sees him rise to the overall lead this season, with 200 points, a handful more than Belgian rivals Thibau Nys (190 points) and Michael Vanthourenhout (187).
In the absence of injured Belgian stars Eli Iserbyt, Laurens Sweeck (leader of the season’s standings before injuring his shoulder at the end of December and undergoing surgery) and Wout van Aert (who had ankle surgery after a crash on 2 January), the Dutch star attacked as soon as the race began in Zonhoven. European Champion Toon Aerts (Charles Liégeois-Deschacht) tried to resist but ‘MVDP’ soon found himself alone at the front.
“I just had a really good start and I wanted to do my own thing, especially in these circumstances,” he recounted. “I was really in a good flow but the punctures broke my rhythm. I never really panicked and I felt I had a pretty good day today.”
He closed his masterclass 45’’ ahead of his young countryman and teammate Tibor Del Grosso. Belgium’s Emiel Verstrynge (Crelan-Corendon) rounded out the podium while Nys crashed out of contention for the top positions and finished 19th.
Women Elite: Alvarado stops Brand’s historic run
Brand celebrated the end of 2025 with two triumphs in Belgium (Gavere on 26 December then Dendermonde two days later), making it seven victories in eight rounds of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup (she did not participate in the second round in Flamanville, France). Her winning streak equals the record for most Women Elite wins in a season of the Cyclo-cross World Cup after Daphny van den Brand took all seven rounds in the 2005-2006 campaign, a tally that Fem van Empel matched in 2022-2023.
The Dutch star thus arrived in Zonhoven filled with confidence, but the challenges of the day, with a snowy terrain and treacherous sand sections, led to an eventful race eventually won by Ceylin Alvarado (Fenix-Premier Tech) with a 23-second margin over Brand.
“I made many mistakes but I never gave up,” Alvarado observed, after taking her first victory since ruling on the Zonhoven circuit at the end of 2024.
Nevertheless, Brand extends her lead in the overall standings: 310 points, against 228 for fellow Dutchwoman Aniek Van Alphen (Seven Racing) and 180 for France’s Amandine Fouquenet (Pauwels Sauzen-Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw). And she still has three more rounds to push her tally and chase the record set in the Men Elite ranks by Sven Nys with eight victories in the 2005-2006 season.
Rising stars gear up
Contenders in the youth categories have two more UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup rounds ahead of them to show their worth before the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships.
In the Women Junior ranks, France’s Lise Revol is on a three-round winning streak, with successes in Flamanville, Koksijde (Belgium) and Dendermonde, establishing her dominance after finishing second in the season opener in Tábor, Czechia. She now has 150 points, compared to the 92 of Italy’s Giorgia Pellizotti.
Italians took over the Men Junior class in Dendermonde as Patrik Pezzo Rosola powered to victory ahead of his compatriot Filipo Grigolini, who leads the overall standings with 116 points. Pezzo Rosola, son of former mountain bike Olympic Champion (1996 and 2000) and UCI World Champion (1993 and 1997) Paola Pezzo, sits on 107 points, the same as Belgium’s Giel Lejeune (winner in Koksijde).
Already a winner in Tábor and Koksijde, the Netherlands’ David Haverdings was dominant again in Dendermonde to take the overall lead of the Men Under 23 rankings from France’s Aubin Sparfel (137 points against 122).
Dutch rider Leonie Bentveld (Pauwels Sauzen – Altez Industriebouw Cycling Team) continues to dominate the Women Under 23 ranking, despite a return to competition (in Dendermonde and Zonhoven) of the reigning UCI World Champion in the category, Great Britain’s Zoe Bäckstedt (Canyon//SRAM Zondacrypto).