<\/p>\n
A simple sentence, but one that hints at a future where the biggest names in road cycling treat winter mud not as a risk \u2014 but as a resource.<\/p>\n
Multi-discipline model takes holdVan Den Abeele points to the success of the Roodhooft brothers\u2019 multi-discipline structure at Alpecin-Deceuninck<\/a> \u2014 behind Mathieu van der Poel<\/a>\u2019s rise \u2014 as evidence of where the sport is heading. \u201cThey show that you can easily debut in another discipline and still grow into a top rider on the road.\u201d<\/p>\n And with UCI ranking points soon to be available outside the road scene, gains could be strategic as well as developmental.<\/p>\n \u201cFor Team Visma | Lease a Bike, Wout van Aert\u2019s points won\u2019t be important, but for the smaller teams it\u2019s interesting. Team Jayco AlUla has the mountain-bike world champion. EF Education-EasyPost has set up a cyclocross team. These are small steps in the right direction.\u201d<\/p>\n Flanders remains the heart \u2014 but expansion gathers pace<\/p>\n Despite the growth of new destinations like Benidorm, Van Den Abeele stressed that Belgium remains cyclocross\u2019 spiritual and economic engine:<\/p>\n \u201cCross is still very much alive in Flanders, but I\u2019m especially pleased that it\u2019s also gaining popularity outside our region. The Worlds in Lievin were a great success. Benidorm has become a blockbuster, Tabor remains a classic. But we can\u2019t deny it: the races in Flanders are still the strongest.\u201d<\/p>\n However, he believes carefully expanding the calendar is essential: \u201cA complete reset makes no sense\u2026 but two major international races more would bring more balance.\u201d<\/p>\n Olympic inclusion still alive \u2014 and potentially transformative<\/p>\n Cyclocross remains in contention for inclusion at the 2030 Winter Olympics, with discussions ongoing. \u201cIt is not approved yet, but it has not been swept off the table.\u201d<\/p>\n And if the IOC gives the green light, Van Den Abeele believes national investment and rider pathways would change overnight. \u201cIt would be the step towards full recognition of cyclocross. Federations would then be willing to invest. Too much talent still gets lost\u2026 Mathieu van der Poel proves the combination works: seven times world cyclocross champion and he still wins his Classics every year.\u201d<\/p>\n For a discipline rooted in Flemish farm tracks, Olympic rings would be the ultimate validation \u2014 and could see the sport\u2019s biggest stars embrace winter competition again.<\/p>\n