100 kg of mussels for the winners: the Belgian cyclocross season gets underway

Cyclocross returns this Sunday to one of its prime territories. After several races held in recent weeks outside the country, Belgium officially opens its CX season today with the Mosselcross in Dendermonde, a race that also debuts a new name, championship, and a prize that is quite more original than the usual trophy: 100 kilograms of mussels for each elite winner.

The Belgian cyclocross season kicks off in Dendermonde with a hard-to-beat prize: 100 kg of mussels

The event will also serve to inaugurate a new phase of the competition that until last season we knew as Exact Cross. After four years as the main sponsor, Exact makes way for HG Cross, a new name for this group of independent races organized under the umbrella of Golazo. HG has initially signed on for the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 seasons, with an option to extend the agreement for one more year.

The format, however, maintains one of its main characteristics. It is not a competition with an overall classification that requires participation in the entire calendar, but rather seven independent races, which makes it easier for some of the big names in cyclocross to appear during the winter depending on their schedule. The first is today in Dendermonde, followed by Meulebeke, Heerde, Lokeren, Mol, Maldegem, and Sint-Niklaas.

The Mosselcross lives up to its name: 100 kg of mussels for the winners

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Dendermonde also debuts its own identity. The race organized by Jurgen Mettepenningen is officially named Borremans Mosselcross, due to the support of the Borremans fishery in Berlare. And here appears one of the most peculiar stories of this season's start.

The male and female elite winners will each receive 100 kilograms of mussels. The idea is not for the cyclists to find space for them in their home freezer. The product will be delivered to their respective fan clubs so they can organize a meal and use it to raise funds.

A prize perfectly aligned with the new name of the race and which adds to the 350 euros allocated to the elite winners. Even the lower categories follow the theme, and their winners will receive 50 kg of mussels in addition to the corresponding cash prize.

Dendermonde changes compared to the World Cup editions

The race is particularly recognizable for those who have followed the World Cup in recent years. Dendermonde was one of its regular stops and left some of the most extreme images of recent cyclocross, especially in that first edition of 2020 where the mud turned much of the course into a foot race with the bike on the shoulder. But the version this Sunday will be different.

For its debut within HG Cross, Mario De Clercq has redesigned part of the Grembergen circuit. The finish line leaves Hamsesteenweg and moves to the grounds of Compost Vermeiren, the assistance area changes location, and one of the sand slopes also completely changes direction, where previously the riders went down, now they will likely have to run up.

The rest retains much of the identity markers of Dendermonde: stairs, small climbs, cobblestones, sand, bridge, and the characteristic undulating section.

Additionally, racing it in October instead of mid-winter should considerably change the character of a race traditionally associated with mud. Michael Vanthourenhout expects a faster race, with more changes of direction and options for the group to remain compact for longer.

Lucinda Brand starts as a reference and the men's race is very open

The women's race will start at 13:45 hours and will feature a significant lineup for being the first major Belgian event.

The main reference will be Lucinda Brand, the current world champion and four-time winner in Dendermonde. Brand comes from an extraordinarily consistent cyclocross season and will meet some of her main Dutch rivals again.

Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, the winner here in 2023, and the European champion Inge van der Heijden appear as two of her most important rivals. Also present will be Leonie Bentveld, Aniek van Alphen, Denise Betsema, Marion Norbert Riberolle, Sara Casasola, or Kristýna Zemanová.

Among the men, whose start is scheduled for 15:00 hours, the absence of several of the big stars who usually join cyclocross later leaves a fairly open scenario.

Niels Vandeputte is one of the big names to watch in a course that, if it remains fast, should suit his characteristics well. Facing him will be riders like Laurens Sweeck, Michael Vanthourenhout, Gerben Kuypers, Joran Wyseure, Joris Nieuwenhuis, Toon Vandebosch, or Witse Meeussen.

Sweeck and Kuypers already know what it is to win in Dendermonde, while Vanthourenhout arrives with competition in his legs and faces a race organized precisely by Mettepenningen, who is also responsible for his sports structure.

The last visit of the elite to this circuit, still as a World Cup event, ended with Thibau Nys winning ahead of Tibor Del Grosso and Laurens Sweeck, while Brand won the women's race ahead of Puck Pieterse.

The World Cup will still have to wait until late November

Dendermonde thus marks the start of the Belgian season, but the international calendar still has quite a way to go before reaching one of its main blocks.

The 2026-2027 Cyclocross World Cup will not start until November 27, with a calendar consisting of 12 events between November and January. The first two will be held in the Czech Republic almost consecutively, and Benidorm will again occupy one of the prominent spots on the calendar.