Welcome back to another edition of Pro Log. Here’s a rundown of the latest cyclocross results before we get started:
Elite Men, Zonhoven, World Cup, Sun 4th January: 1st Mathieu van der Poel, 59min 36sec; 2nd Tibor Del Grosso, +45sec; 3rd Emiel Verstrynge, +1min 03sec.
Elite Women, Zonhoven, World Cup, Sun 4th January: 1st Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, 51min 33sec; 2nd Lucinda Brand, +23sec; 3rd Puck Pieterse, +49sec.
Elite Men, Gullegem, Superprestige, Sat 3rd January: 1st Niels Vandeputte, 56min 43sec; 2nd Michael Vanthourenhout, +03sec; 3rd Joris Nieuwenhuis, +04sec.
Elite Women, Gullegem, Superprestige, Sat 3rd January: 1st Amandine Fouquenet, 48min 00sec; 2nd Marion Norbert Riberolle, +09sec; 3rd Rafaelle Carrier, +11sec.
Elite Men, Mol, Exact Cross, Fri 2nd January: 1st Mathieu van der Poel, 1hr 00min 05sec; 2nd Toon Aerts, +1min 23sec; 3rd Felipe Orts Lloret, +1min 41sec.
Elite Women, Mol, Exact Cross, Fri 2nd January: 1st Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, 46min 02sec; 2nd Manon Bakker, +12sec; 3rd Julie Brouwers, +26sec.
Wout van Aert fractures ankle
Visma-Lease a Bike
It’s a less than ideal start to 2026 for Wout van Aert. The Visma-Lease a Bike rider had broken clear with Mathieu van der Poel on a snowy circuit during Exact Cross Mol but crashed into a corner and sustained a small fracture to his ankle. He attempted to ride on but pulled out, later undergoing successful surgery.
The Belgian was taking part in a short cyclocross season that began in late December and only raced in six events prior to the injury that now puts him out for the rest of the CX season.
Mathieu van der Poel and Lucinda Brand dominate CX
UCI CX
Dutch giants Mathieu van der Poel and Lucinda Brand have been busy sweeping up almost every cyclocross race they entered. Van der Poel has won nine consecutive races and Brand has reigned victorious in a whopping 17 races since October. In the three races she didn’t win in Overijse, the European Championships and Zonhoven, she finished second.
The pair are flying in the build up to the World Championships, which takes place in Hulst on 30th January and 1st February. Van der Poel is looking to defend his title while Brand will be eyeing a second title after a second place to compatriot Fem van Empel last year.
Jonas Vingegaard edging closer to Giro d’Italia
A.S.O./Charly López
According to Spanish newspaper Marca, Jonas Vingegaard will make his debut at the Giro d’Italia in 2026. It’s the only Grand Tour the Dane is yet to win having secured the Tour de France title in 2022 and 2023 and the Vuelta a España in 2025.
If successful in claiming the maglia rosa it would put Vingegaard in quite the special club, with only seven men in history having won all three Grand Tours. Vingegaard previously spoke about his preference of winning the Giro for the first time over the Tour again in 2026.
Amanda Spratt to retire
Lidl-Trek
Australian icon Amanda Spratt will retire at the end of the 2026 season. The 38-year-old has enjoyed a 14-year career in the professional peloton with three national road race titles and three victories in the Tour Down Under – thriving in her home country.
Spratt has raced for Lidl-Trek since 2023 with the squad describing her career as one of longevity over fleeting success. A valued member of the peloton with a calming presence perfect for a road captain, one of Spratt’s biggest wins came in the form of a Giro d’Italia solo win in 2018, a year she would also finish third overall and win the mountains classification.
On ending her career on a high, she said, ‘I don’t want my career to just fizzle, I want to keep putting the effort in. I am still really motivated and I still love what I do so, I want to go out on a good note. Of course, I would love to win a race, I haven’t done that in a long time, but mostly I would just love over the next year to be a really valued team member and contribute to some big results for my teammates.’
