The Cyclocross World Cup comes to an end in Hoogerheide

After 2 months and 12 races held, the end of the 2025/26 Cyclocross World Cup arrives, with Hoogerheide completely determined in the women's category, thanks to the brutal dominance of Lucinda Brand, who had won 8 of the 10 races held before this decisive weekend. As for the men's category, for there to be excitement in this final race, Thibau Nys must achieve the feat of defeating Mathieu van der Poel the day before in the Maasmechelen race.

Cyclocross World Cup Schedule – Hoogerheide

Sunday, January 21, 2026

• 9:30 – Junior Men
• 10:35 – Junior Women
• 12:00 – U23 Men
• 13:40 – Elite Women
• 15:10 – Elite Men

Van der Poel Aiming for Sven Nys' Victory Record. Favorites for the Hoogerheide Race

Last race of the Cyclocross World Cup and the final test for Mathieu van der Poel in the lead-up to the World Championship, his main goal this season where he seeks to surpass, achieving his 8th rainbow jersey, the historic record of Eric de Vlaeminck. However, his successful season in the World Cup, which has almost guaranteed him the overall classification, has also put another record within reach, that of races won in the World Cup, which was held by the legendary Sven Nys, with 50 victories, the same number that Mathieu van der Poel would reach if he managed to win on Saturday in the Maasmechelen race, which would leave him in a position to potentially break it in this final race in Hoogerheide. In summary, if Van der Poel was already the favorite for victory, having such motivating challenges ahead reinforces his status as the top contender for triumph.

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In the hands of his son, Thibau Nys, lies the safeguarding of his father's record. A Thibau Nys who, to maintain hopes of winning the overall Cyclocross World Cup, must win both Saturday and Sunday and hope that Mathieu van der Poel performs worse than second place in one of the two races, since if Van der Poel finishes behind him in both, he would only tie the points that the Dutchman has in the overall standings, meaning that the greater number of victories for Van der Poel would grant him the final victory. Undoubtedly, a nearly impossible challenge, but as long as there are mathematical options, a Nys who has found that consistency that was previously lacking will continue to fight. A Thibau Nys who, if Van der Poel's retirement from CX is confirmed, should become the dominant force in the coming years.

As in the last races, the gap between the level of these two and the rest is significant. Behind them, we will find a good number of cyclists of similar level, capable of having the race within reach to take advantage of any opportunity that may arise from a mistake by Nys or Van der Poel. We are talking about cyclists like Michael Vanthourenhout, Tibor del Grosso, Joris Nieuwnhuis, and of course, returning to his best level in this last month, a brilliant Felipe Orts after his podium in Benidorm.

How to watch the Hoogerheide Cyclocross World Cup

An intense week for the Eurosport lineup with winter sports, in the lead-up to the Olympics and the Australian Open in Tennis. While the women's race can only be followed through HBO Max, the men's event will be broadcast on Eurosport 2, accessible through most television platforms.

On its part, RTVE has not yet confirmed whether it will broadcast the Hoogerheide race through Teledeporte or the online platform RTVE Play.