A Beginners Guide to Following Cyclocross Racing This Season

Rosael Torres Davis
·11 min read
15th world cup nommay women elite
How to Watch the 2022-2023 Cyclocross SeasonLuc Claessen - Getty Images
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With the UCI Road Cycling Championships wrapped up in Wollongong, Australia, the road season comes to a close, fall weather settles in, and we hear a rustle in the leaves that says “cross is coming.” That’s why we’ve traded the picturesque roads and organized breakaways of road racing for the muddy grass courses and the exciting chaos of cyclocross.

With the continued dominance of multi-discipline riders like Marianne Vos, Lucinda Brand, Wout van Aert, Tom Pidcock, and Mathieu van der Poel, it is worth paying attention to the discipline where many got their start and will return to for at least a few races each. While the whole premise of cyclocross may be hard to get a grasp for fans of road racing—with its taped courses, barrier hopping, sand pits, and lots of running next to your bike 🤔—its action-packed, hour-long format is perfect for fans who want a break from the slow burn of a road race.

The Races

The 2022-2023 professional cyclocross season is composed of 145 UCI-sanctioned races across the globe. The star events of the season are the UCI World Cups—with fourteen race days, and the United States hosting two of them in Waterloo, WI, and Fayetteville, AR—and the UCI World Championships that will outfit its winners in the coveted rainbow-striped jersey.

With over a hundred races on the international calendar, it may be hard to choose which race days are worth your time on the couch (or indoor trainer), so here are our top picks:

Check out the full 2022-2023 UCI calendars below and continue reading for how to watch and for our editors’ picks on who to keep an eye on this season.

UCI Cyclocross Calendar 2022-2023 USA UCI Cyclocross Calendar 2022-2023

Where to Watch

While cyclocross—or cx for short—is not a mainstream sport yet and you won’t always find it on tv, you can still catch it on online platforms with excellent commentary from the likes of former racers Ellen Noble and Jeremy Powers, and seasoned commentators like José Been and Marty McCrossan. Watch the races live or via replay on the following platforms.

Making Sense of Cyclocross Racing

Cyclocross events usually take place in closed courses located in city parks, beaches, or mtb parks, and are carefully designed to provide riders with obstacles and challenges of varying nature—such as wooden barriers, sandpits, off-cambers, muddy uphills, and more.

Racers line up at the start line in a grid that is decided by their UCI rankings. Starting from the back rows and making your way to the front can be a race of its own for many riders as the courses are tight and technical, making passing very difficult. Each race lasts between forty-five minutes to an hour and a lap counter by the start/finish line lets the riders and viewers know how much racing is left.

What happens if a rider gets a mechanical?

Each course will also have one or two pits—designated areas wheres in which the riders can exchange their dirty bikes for clean ones from their team mechanics. If a rider gets a mechanical during the race, they must continue racing (bike or foot) to the next pit to swap bikes or try and fix the issue. Riding or running backward on the course is not allowed.

Is cyclocross a team sport?

Cyclocross is typically raced as an individual sport, but at the professional level, teamwork can be observed with riders often disrupting chase groups or letting gaps open for the benefit of their teammates on course. But because cyclocross is so often seen as an individual effort, you’ll occasionally see some inter-team drama when the number two and three riders ondecideam decided to try for their own results.

Most professionals will race with their trade teams (Alpecin-Fenix, Jumbo Visma, etc.) except for the World Championships where just like on the road, riders will represent their respective nations.

Can I just watch the last few laps of a cx race?

Yes, but, in cyclocross, one of the most exciting parts of the race happens as soon as the lights turn green: the holeshot—a term used to describe the race to get through the first turn or obstacle in the course. Being among the first riders through means less energy wasted trying to move through the field and a higher chance of success.

Why is there running in cyclocross?

Yes, there is some running in cyclocross. Sometimes, a lot. One of the quirks of cx is that some obstacles and features are actually faster if you run them. Steep uphills, treacherous off-cambers, and deep sand pits can sometimes prove too challenging for riders to ride, and a different kind of leg speed may come into play.

How fast do they go?

The speeds riders carry in this discipline vary widely depending on the course design, course surface, and weather conditions. Over the period of forty-five minutes, the course can change enough that it will force riders to improvise new lines to ride and how they approach certain features.

There can be plenty of nuances to watch for in cyclocross, but at the end of the day, you don’t need to be an expert to enjoy it as it is meant to be, a sheer spectacle of bike handling, athleticism, and occasionally, the only running competition worth watching as a cycling fan.

Riders to Watch

In today’s cycling world, women’s elite cyclocross is about the best bike racing there is. With great characters, up-and-comers, the old guard, and multiple nations showing face, you won’t want to miss these highly entertaining races. Here are our picks for riders to watch.

➥ Lucinda Brand - The European Champion and Baloise - Trek Lions rider returns to cyclocross following two seasons of dominance between the tape. Can she reclaim the Rainbow Jersey after losing it to Marianne Vos in Fayetteville? Maybe. However, we are more interested in the duel with her younger compatriot Fem van Empel.

➥ Fem van Empel - “Another young rider who has really developed over the last few seasons is Fem Van Empel (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal). Van Empel is my pick for the rider who can put Lucinda Brand under the most pressure. She seems incredibly confident going into this season and already has two wins to her name.”—Trevor Raab, Bicycling photographer

➥ Clara Honsinger - “If Honsinger (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) can get some good starts t, hiswouldn’t I would’t bet against her. America would love to have a cham,pion again and Clara has what it takes. She races with a never-say-di,e attitude and even when the races seem to get hard she keeps her cool. Many of her rides remind me of watching Sven Nys stay calm and wind it up as the race ,progresses ultimately finishing stronger than the rest.”—Trevor Raab, Bicycling photographer

➥ Puck Pieterse - “Pieterse (Alpecin - Deceuninck) only had one win last cyclocross season, the Under 23 World Championships in Fayetteville, AR. But that stat doesn’t fully capture what a breakout season the 20-year-old had; she was on the podium in six World Cup races (where U23 women race against the Elites) and was second place three times to three different riders. To me, that says two things: First, the depth of the women’s cyclocross field is incredible, and two, a big win is just around the corner for Puck Pieterse.”—Dan Chabanov, gear editor

➥ Zoe Bäckstedt - “Fresh off dominant wins at Junior Worlds. Bäckstedt (EF Education-TIBCreturning to cyclocross inlocross on some obvious form. We’ll see if she can continue her run of dominance through the ranks of the cyclocross circuit. She’s one of the toughest and best bike handlers in the wom, en’s field and we can’t forget the Junior Cyclcross world championship she won in Fayetteville. She might not be the outright favorite this year but she’ll surely factor when she’s racing.”—Trevor Raab, Bicycling photographer

Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel may be your go-to picks, but with their time being split between disciplines, we highly recommend you pay attention to these other talented riders racing in the elite men’s field.

➥ Michael Vanthourenhout - “Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal) is in the difficult position of having teammate Eli Iserbyt as his chief rival. So far this season, they are one and one for wins, with Vanthourenhout taking the first muddy race of 2022 in Kruibeke with Iserbyt in second. A week later, they would trade places in Beringen.

In the past, the Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal team would use Vanthourenhout as the early attacker in favor of Iserbyt winning from a later race attack, once his rivals were tired from chasing his teammate. I’m hopeful that, with the absence of Toon Aerts due to a doping investigation, the team will allow Vanthourenhout to take more chances. Look for him especially when the race is muddy and hilly—terrain where Vanthourenhout bested his rivals when he won arguably the hardest race of last year’s season at Namur.”—Dan Chabanov, gear editor

➥ Eli Iserbyt - “Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal) has been the most dominant rider outside of MvdP, Pidcock, and WvA. If he can stay healthy, look to him to rack up most of the wins when the big three aren’t around. He has a strong team and seems to be off to a good start in 2022. It’s hard to bet against Iserbyt as the big favorites probably won’t be around for a full season.”—Trevor Raab, Bicycling photographer

➥ Laurens Sweeck - “Sweeck (IKO-Crelan) moved to a new team where he won’t have to play second fiddle to Eli anymore and so this is his chance to shine. With something to prove, look to Sweeck to put pressure on Iserbyt without having to worry about team orders of years past.”—Trevor Raab, Bicycling photographer

➥ Lars van der Haar - “Maybe it’s because I like an underdog and Van der Haar (Baloise - Trek Lions) certainly feels like one, but I think a few wins will come his way this season. With Toon Aerts out, Van der Haar might be Baloise Trek Lions’ best shot at the top step. He’s now a seasoned veteran and knows how to race against the best. He was tantalizingly close to a World Championship behind win Van Aert in 2016 and had a great ride in 2022 where he finished second to Pidcock. Never count Lars out.”—Trevor Raab, Bicycling photographer

➥ Thomas Pidcock - “Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers) is the reigning Men’s Elite Cyclocross World Champion, which means two things, he has the most laundry to do of any rider in the men’s field (due to his white skinsuit), and he’s going to be a favorite in any race he shows up to this season.

Which races will he actually show up to is the question though. After an extended road season that included the Spring Classics and the Tour de France, Pidcock opted to skip the Road World Championships in Australia and has yet to confirm any specific cx races for his program, saying instead that he wants to properly prepare for another run at the spring classics on the road.

Last year, Pidcock started 13 cyclocross races and won four. But, at this time, Pidcock has not yet confirmed if he is planning to defend his Worlds title in early February.”—Dan Chabanov, gear editor

Other Resources

If you are hooked on cx and would like to take a deep dive into the discipline, here are some resources that will keep you up-to-date on a weekly basis.

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