After months of speculation over what the new cyclocross World Cup schedule would look like after the UCI granted the Flanders Classics group the right to organize, market and broadcast the World Cup series. We now have a schedule.
Flanders Classics, who’s contract with the UCI goes through the 2023-2024 season, comes into cyclocross with an ambitious plan that mirrors their stable of road races.
Initially the plan was to have 16 cyclocross World Cup events next season. That number still remains aspirational, but for next season, the number of events is capped at 14.
The biggest blow to North American fans is that Iowa City will not host a World Cup this season (Jingle is still on the calendar as a three-race UCI event, just not World Cup), meaning the U.S. will only have one World Cup event, in Waterloo, Wisconsin. This reduction in World Cup rounds by half for North America, along with the increased total number of events, means that we may see even less European riders traveling to Wisconsin to participate, knowing that if they miss one race, it will affect them less than in the past.
For Europe, the World Cup races become the dominating force on the calendar casting a shadow over every other series. How this will change the sport is still to be seen.
But that’s not really why you’re reading this. What you really want to know is the schedule … so here it is:
2020-2021 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Calendar
| October 4, 2020 | Waterloo | USA |
| October 18, 2020 | Dublin | IRL |
| October 25, 2020 | Zonhoven | BEL |
| November 1, 2020 | Overijse | BEL |
| November 15, 2020 | Tabor | CZE |
| November 22, 2020 | Koksijde | BEL |
| November 29, 2020 | Besancon | FRA |
| December 6, 2020 | Wachtebeke | BEL |
| December 13, 2020 | Antwerpen | BEL |
| December 20, 2020 | Namur | BEL |
| December 27, 2020 | Diegem | BEL |
| January 3, 2021 | Hulst | NED |
| January 17, 2021 | Villars | SUI |
| January 24, 2020 | Hoogerheide | NED |
As expected it’s a Euro fest. Glad to see a race in Dublin but only one in USA shows no commitment to anything except ensuring that UCI is less relevant to US scene than ever. UCI care little for CX and have just sold it to highest bidder knowing that it will cause the sport to shrink without any consultation.