2 rainbow jerseys in a row for Belgium’s Sanne Cant, who defended her Women Elite World title with a stylish solo victory at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Valkenburg-Limburg, the Netherlands, in February.
273 riders from 23 nations vied for one of the 5 World titles at stake in Valkenburg-Limburg.
20 was the tender age of Evie Richards (GBR) when she stormed to victory in the Namur round of the 2017-2018 Telenet UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup one year ago. She went on to win the U23 UCI World Championships (for the second time after 2016) in Valkenburg-Limburg (NED).
2m13 was Wout van Aert’s advance at the finish line of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships over his runner-up and fellow Belgian Michael Vanthourenhout. It was a third World title for Van Aert who claimed victory in Valkenburg-Limburg after a long solo ride.
7 victories in nine rounds of the 2017-2018 Telenet UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup for Mathieu Van der Poel. After sitting out the first two rounds of the current 2018-2019 World Cup in the USA, Van der Poel is back to his winning ways, claiming the next three rounds.
12 years after her first cyclo-cross World title, Marianne Vos continues to be a force to be reckoned with. Battling injury and forced to rest in recent years, she is back in shape and remains a strong contender in the 2018-2019 Telenet UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup and at 31 years of age, leads the overall UCI World Cup rankings after five of the nine rounds.
8 young men and women from six countries took part in the annual cyclo-cross training camp organised at the UCI World Cycling Centre in Aigle, Switzerland, in October. The athletes, aged 16 to 20, were coached by two of the sport’s big names: Rudy De Bie and Sven Vanthourenhout.
25% was the increase in TV viewers in Belgium between 2017 and 2018 for the Women’s race at the 5th round of the 2018-2019 Telenet UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup held in Koksijde (BEL). The viewership gap between the men’s and women’s races decreases every year.
25,736 spectators lined the 2900m long race course, which included the famous Cauberg climb, over the two days of racing at the Valkenburg-Limburg UCI World Championships.
600 staff and volunteers ensured that the Valkenburg Worlds ran smoothly for the athletes, spectators, media and partners.